AMERICA/MEXICO - Bishops' appeal for peace: "Dialogue with everyone, even with organized crime"

Guerrero (Agenzia Fides) - The four Bishops of the dioceses of Guerrero State have asked the government to "talk" with organized crime in order to reverse the serious situation of insecurity and violence that exists in the region. In the document, entitled "Commitment with Guerrero and for Peace", sent to Fides, His Exc. Mgr. Carlos Garfias Merlos, Archbishop of Acapulco; His Exc. Mgr. Salvador Rangel Mendoza, Bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa; His Exc. Mgr. Maximino Martinez Miranda, Bishop of Ciudad Altamirano; and His Exc. Mgr. Dagoberto Sosa Arriaga, Bishop of Tlapa, said that the government of Héctor Astudillo begins "in the midst of a deep social, economic, political and human rights crisis".
Guerrero is the most violent state in Mexico, and "this serious situation has led to polarization, confrontation, marginalization, despair and people have even tried to take justice into their own hands". "It is essential that processes of dialogue are promoted and scenarios where we can listen, reach agreements and reconstruct the historical memory of our people are created" wrote the Bishops.
With regards to the sentence of a journalist, according to whom to dialogue with the crime "means to come to terms with the criminals", Mgr. Garfias Merlos clearly said to the press: "The word is the instrument for the proclamation of the Good News, the word is also the tool of the authorities to relate with the population, and criminals are part of the population. In any process of education or formation there is always the word and dialogue".
The Bishops conclude by suggesting the creation of "a social platform that is able to involve all the institutions to mend the social fabric, and therefore develop a comprehensive development plan." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 05/11/2015)

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