Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
La Paz (Agenzia Fides) – The Diocese of La Paz (Mexico) has inaugurated Project KUNI, a dynamic program organized to offer care and rehabilitation of drug addicts, from a Christian perspective. Present in the inauguration ceremony was the Apostolic Nuncio of Mexico, Archbishop Christopher Pierre and Bishop Miguel Angel Alba Diaz of La Paz, accompanied by several civil authorities.
According to the Municipal President of La Paz, Rosa Delia Cota Montaño, the initiative has gathered the efforts of local authorities and the Catholic Church in establishing a center whose objective is to set in motion a program of detoxification for the person suffering from addictions, “through an acknowledgment of their personal, familiar, and spiritual values and their skills.” The project includes the establishment of an urban center at the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, designed to complement the work carried out in the center/residence, where there will be prevention events among the citizens and the promotion of sober living through education and accompaniment, “carried out with love, integrity, perseverance, and spirit of service.”
“Charity is only authentic when it is disinterested and is freely given, when it is not done with the desire to obtain other goals, when it is not at the service of worldly tactics or used as proselytism, to gain political or religious supporters,” Bishop Alba Diaz explained, praising the initiative. “Love, as a pure and free gift, is the best testimony of God we can offer. We believe in Him and from this conviction we commit ourselves to the service of all, without discrimination of anyone because of their political or religious affiliation, and without trying to impose our faith on anyone in any manner,” the Municipal President said. “We wish to place this project at the service of those who suffer from addiction and their families. We hope to collaborate, however we can, in contributing to the common good of society, of which we form a part. We hope to add our new effort on to the evident efforts being made by authorities and others who are working in this area, which counts on everyone's participation,” she added.
Lastly, the President called upon “the blessing of the Lord our God, that He may reward all those who have made this project a reality: authorities, priests, businessmen, psychologists, doctors, and lay apostles, and many others.”
Both the Church and society in Mexico are worried about the rise of addiction in the country. país. José Angel Córdova Villalobos, of the Secretariate for Health, has observed the worrisome increase in the number of addicts, especially among the youth. In the last 6 years, the number of addicts has gone up 50%, from 307,000 in 2002 to 465,000 in 2008, according to statistics from the National Addiction Study done by the Secretary for Health. As for the number of people who have taken drugs, there has been an increase of 28.9%, from 3.5 million in 2002 to 4.5 million in 2008, youth being understood as persons between 12-25 years of age, who are most vulnerable for consumption. According to the Secretary for Health, the increase is mainly due to the fact that there is now a greater availability of drugs in the country and the prices are now lower, even free of charge in many cases. The Health Secretary has also observed that the wave of violence being seen in the country now is a response from the gangs caught up in drug-trafficking, to the Federal Government's fight against organized delinquency. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 27/10/2008)
