BY DAVID AGREN
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
The Jesuit-run Central American Uni- versity in El Salvador welcomed the ver- dict of a Spanish court, which convicted a former Salvadoran colonel for the murder of five Jesuit priests in 1989. The verdict was "an extraordinary service to the truth" from a conflict in which many atrocities have gone un- punished, the university statement said. It expressed some sadness, however, that justice had not occurred in El Salva- dor, where the slayings occurred during the country's civil war. Through the evidence and testimony given, the system of concealment and impunity overseen by the armed forces and the Salvadoran state (to a certain degree) has become clear, especially in the face of the human rights violations committed during the civil war," the university said in a Sept. 11 statement. The trial, the statement continued, clearly showed the armed forces ... operated as a criminal and cover-up ma- chine." The statement said the results of the trial in Spain would lead to "real steps in favor of truth and justice, not only in the so-called Jesuit case, but in all the (cases) related to serious human rights violations." In a Sept. 11 ruling, former Col. Inocente Orlando Montano, 77, was found to have planned and ordered the murders of the five Jesuits priests - all Spanish nationals - Nov. 16, 1989, at their residence on the Central American University campus. The five Spaniards were Father Igna- cio Ellacuria, university rector, along with Fathers Ignacio Martn-Baro, Juan Ramn Moreno, Amando Lpez and Se- gundo Montes. Salvadoran Jesuit Father Joaqun Lpez and Julia Elba Ramos, a housekeeper, and her teenage daughter Celina, also were killed in the attack. The court could only rule on the cases of the five Spanish Jesuits as a condition of Montano's 2017 extradition to Spain from the United States, where he resided prior to his extradition. Montano, who appeared at his Madrid trial in a wheelchair, was sentenced to 133 years, four months and five days in prison - 26 years, eight months and one day for each murder. He had pleaded not guilty and testified to not having any animus against the Jesuits or the Catholic Church and even spoke of Father Ellacu- ria as a friend. Witnesses at the trial - held over nine days in June and July - said Montano considered the Jesuits to be "traitors" and saw, along with others in the army, the Central American University as in- fested with rebels from the Farabundo Mart National Liberation Front.
BY MANUEL RUEDA
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
BOGOTA, Colombia (CNS) - Bishops in Colombia prayed for the victims of police violence and urged protesters not to take jus- tice into their own hands, following a chaotic week in which 13 people were killed during protests over law enforcement in the South American country. The protests broke out after a video was shared on social media showing two police officers in Bo- gota pinning a man and suffocating him with their knees while striking him repeatedly with a taser, while witnesses asked the officers to stop. Javier Ordoez, 44, died within hours of the police beating. Witnesses said the officers had grabbed Or- doez, a father of two, for drinking on the street. On Sept. 9, thousands gathered around police sta- tions in Colombia's capital to hold peaceful demon- strations against police violence. But some of the protests soon turned into street battles, where young men launched rocks and Molotov cocktails at police, who responded with tear gas and live rounds. According to Bogota City Hall, more than 200 people were injured during three nights of protests, including 72 civilians who sustained bullet wounds. Mayor Claudia Lpez described it as the worst street violence the city had experienced in three decades. The Catholic Church responded Sept. 12 with a peace and reconciliation vigil in which Bogota Arch- bishop Luis Jos Rueda Aparicio urged the city's residents to "work in favor of peace" and "liberate" themselves from hatred and resentment. Many young people died this week," Archbishop Rueda said. "And that makes us think if Bogota, if Colombia is offering young people opportuni- ties and culture. If we are giving them hopes of studying, working, practic- ing sports." Bishop Fabio Suescun, Colombia's military bishop, said the police who beat Ordoez had failed to up- hold their duty and should be punished. However, he said, most police officers in the country are trying to do their job properly, and he asked protesters for re- straint, saying that "violent reactions only generate more violence." During the protests, about a third of Bogota's 150 police stations were vandalized and more than 20 were set on fire. President Ivn Duque called for restraint and apologized for the death of Ordoez, while his defense minister suggested that rebel groups, including the National Liberation Army, had infiltrated the protests
Pope encourages youth as school year begins
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - In a letter to people partici- pating in a virtual Marian pilgrimage, Pope Francis of- fered words of encouragement to families struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The pope's message, which was signed on his behalf by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, was sent to Bishop Stefano Russo, secretary general of the Italian bishops' conference, and to participants in the 13th Annual National Pilgrimage for Families to Pompei and Loreto. The Vatican published the message Sept. 13. Acknowledging the challenges facing students today, the pope expressed his hope that the "reopening of the school year will be lived by all with a great sense of responsibility." He also repeated his call for "a renewed educational pact" that places first and foremost "the healthy growth" of young people, which "is a condition for a peaceful and prosperous future" for all.
British bishops decry abortion rise
MANCHESTER, England (CNS) - Catholic bishops said they were disappointed by figures showing abortions in England and Wales were at their highest recorded level. The statistics released Sept. 10 by the Depart- ment of Health revealed that 109,836 abortions were performed in the first six months of 2020. The figures represent an increase of nearly 4,300 over the same period of 2019, a year that saw 200,608 abortions, the highest number recorded in England and Wales. In a Sept. 11 statement, the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales said, "We mark the tragic loss of the lives of so many unborn babies with deep sadness and re- gret. It is hugely disappointing that so many mothers felt that they could not continue with their pregnan- cies, and we look forward to a time when women are given the genuine support they need to have children no matter what their circumstances," the statement added.
Salvadoran university welcomes conviction for '89 Jesuit murders
Colombian church leaders call for reconciliation, truth following protests
BRIEFSI 2 AROUND THE WORLD
THE CATHOLIC FREE PRESS SEPTEMBER 18, 2020
Nonviolence, human rights important
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Expressing his concern about demonstrations taking place in many countries around the world, Pope Francis appealed for nonvio- lence, dialogue and the guarantee of civil rights. In these weeks, we are witnessing numerous popular protests all over the world - in many places - express- ing the increasing unrest of civil society in the face of particularly critical political and social situations," the pope said Sept. 13 after reciting the Angelus prayer. While I urge the demonstrators to present their de- mands peacefully, without giving in to the temptation of aggression and violence," he said, "I appeal to all those with public and governmental responsibilities to listen to the voice of their fellow citizens and to meet their just aspirations, ensuring full respect for human rights and civil liberties." The pope did not mention any specific city or coun- try. However, two days earlier he had dispatched his foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, to Minsk, Belarus, to show his closeness to the people and his support of the local church.
Two Canadian bishops disavow priest's prophecies
MONTREAL (CNS) - Two Canadian dioceses have disavowed the messages and prophecies of a Canadian priest known for prophesying doom. Bishop Gilles Lemay of Amos, Quebec, disavowed the messages and prophecies of Father Michel Rodrigue Sept. 3. Six days later, Bishop Robert Bourgon of Hearst-Moosonee, the Ontario diocese where Father Rodrigue was or- dained, also disavowed his visions. Father Rodrigue has retired as an active priest in the diocese" and has renounced "his pastoral responsibility for the three parishes that I had entrusted to him," said Bishop Le- May. Bishop Bourgon also refuted the priest's claim to be "an official exorcist of the church." Father Rodrigue founded the Apostolic Fraternity of St. Benoit Joseph Labre, an association that brings together priests and laypeople, based in Saint-Dominique-du-Rosaire, Que- bec. His prophecies are published on an American website. Father Rodrigue also gave several conferences in the United States.
Patriarch: Church in Lebanon is free
RYE, N.Y. (CNS) - The Catholic Church in Lebanon plays a leading role in shaping public opinion in that troubled country because it is free and speaks the truth, Cardinal Bechara Rai, Maronite patriarch, told an internet audience Sept. 10. "The church is free. The patriarch and the bishops are free and we say the truth as we see it. We are not looking for anything and this is why our word is heard and appreciated," he said. Cardinal Rai headlined the videoconference and offered a detailed description of the current situation in Lebanon and its prospects for the future. "Lebanon, the last Christian foothold in the Middle East, is home for 18 Christian and Muslim confessional communi- ties, living together equal in rights and duties. It is the only democratic secular state in the Arab world. It is an example of unity in diversity," Cardinal Rai said. and used them as an op- portunity to attack police. Last year, the National Liberation Army set off a bomb at a police academy in Bogota; 23 people were killed. On Sept. 13, Lpez orga- nized a reconciliation cer- emony in front of the city's cathedral. She personally gave her condolences to relatives of those who were injured or killed during the protests. The mayor said the city government would back families who file complaints against the police, and she spoke of the need to reform the nation's police force, so that officers fall under the jurisdiction of civilian courts. Currently police offi- cers in Colombia are judged by military tribunals. The ceremony also was attended by Jesuit Father Francisco de Roux, who has been working for decades on behalf of the victims of Colombia's armed conflict. Father de Roux, who now leads a truth commission that looks into war crimes, said it was time to "listen to the victims and share their pain." But he called for a thor- ough investigation into the deaths of the 13 protesters to discover who gave the police orders to use live ammunition during the demonstrations.
CNS PHOTO DPA TNS ABACAPRESS.COM VIA REUTERS
Former Salvadoran Col. Inocente Orlando Montano was sentenced to more than 133 years in prison for his involvement in the slaying of five Spanish Jesuits in El Salvador in 1989. The ruling came Sept. 11; he is pictured here during his trial in June.
CNS PHOTO LUISA GONZALEZ, REUTERS
Riot police clash with demonstrators during a protest in Bogota, Colombia, Sept. 12.
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'Violent reactions only generate more violence.'
Bishop Fabio Suescun
Colombia's military bishop
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