Mexico City, Mexico, Jun 23, 2016 / 12:28 am (CNA).- Archbishop José Luis Chavez Botello of Antequera-Oaxaca, México, called for intensifying prayer for peace after clashes between authorities and a teachers' union left at least seven dead and more than 50 injured.
Since June 11, the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico has held a series of demonstrations against the educational reforms undertaken by the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto. The protests included blocking highways connecting Mexico City and the states of Puebla, Veracruz, Chiapas and Guerrero.
The Oaxaca Department of Public Safety says that it deployed 800 officers on June 19. During the confrontation between demonstrators and authorities, at least seven people died and 51 were injured.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">México: Choques entre policías y maestros en Oaxaca se cobran la vida de al menos 6 personas <a href="https://t.co/8qTampBQa7">https://t.co/8qTampBQa7</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ry8CmbzpMM">pic.twitter.com/Ry8CmbzpMM</a></p>— RT en Español (@ActualidadRT) <a href="https://twitter.com/ActualidadRT/status/745027498124148736">June 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The authorities are blaming alleged infiltrators among the demonstrators, saying “civilians, so far unidentified, fired shots against elements of public safety and the civilian population.”
However, they stated that they will open investigations to “determine who is responsible for what.”
According to the teachers' union, 10 people were killed, including teachers and parents.
In a statement released June 20, the Archdiocese of Antequera-Oaxaca lamented “the fatal outcome” of June 19 and expressed its solidarity “with the families of those who died and those who were injured.”
Archbishop Chavez said that the Church “as an institution committed to the protection and defense of life, opened its doors to care for everyone without distinction to provide first aid for anyone who needed it.”
The archbishop encouraged the faithful to provide “all our knowledge, skills and the best we have to together achieve reconciliation and peace.”
“Let us intensify prayer at all levels,” he urged, “in personal prayer, as well as in families, apostolic groups and movements, and all the communities and parishes, so that God may move the hearts of everyone and dispose us to dialogue, to understanding and to the willingness to resolve the conflict in a constructive manner, with words, gestures, agreements and actions that benefit everyone.”
Starting June 21, the archbishop Saud, “I am inviting all of us to be spiritually united” so that “wherever we are, when the bells toll from all the churches and chapels we pray the Angelus at 12 noon, and at 6:00 p.m., the recitation of the Holy Rosary, preferably in the churches.”
Also on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m., “let us make a Holy Hour” and at daily Mass “at 7:00 p.m. let us remember this intention.”
“May the ringing of the bells at those times be a call from God to be sowers, artisans and guardians of reconciliation and peace from our family and community,” he urged.
Photo credit: Frank Gaertner via www.shutterstock.com.
Article Archive
With 7 dead after teachers' union clash, Mexican bishop calls for prayer
Related Articles • More Articles
null / Credit: Peter Hermes Furian via ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) on April 19 condemned the kidnapping and murder of a catechist in Burkina Faso, West Africa.In a news brief, ACN informed ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that catechist Edouard Yougbare was kidnapped on Thursday night by "terrorists, and his lifeless body was found near Zigni this morning."According to other local sources, along with Yougbare, who was a member of Saatenga parish in Fada Gourma, Burkina Faso, more people were kidnapped and murdered."We are heartbroken by the loss of Yougbare. He served his community faithfully and his death is a devastating blow for the people of Saatenga," lamented Spaniard María Lozano, press and public relations director of ACN International."Catechists in Burkina Faso are on the front lines, risking their lives for the good of their people. Just two months ago, ano...
Pope Francis addresses the faithful at his Wednesday general audience on March 27, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Apr 19, 2024 / 10:07 am (CNA).In the latest move in Pope Francis' reform of the Vatican judiciary, the pope issued a new motu proprio on Friday on the retirement age and benefits for cardinal judges and magistrates in the Vatican's court system.The April 19 motu proprio states that Vatican magistrates will retire at the end of the judicial year in which they turn 75 and cardinal judges at the age of 80, unless Pope Francis asks them to remain in office beyond the age limit.Magistrates and judges who wish to resign from office before the retirement age can only do so with the approval of the pope.The pope also has the prerogative to dismiss magistrates unable to fulfill their duties at any time. Upon the termination of their duties, magistrates will retain the rights to assistance and welfare provided to Vatican citizens and employees.The motu proprio, wh...
Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow announced on April 14, 2024, the decision to begin the process of beatification and canonization of Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young lay missionary murdered in Bolivia in 2017. / Credit: The Helena Kmiec FoundationACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow, Poland, announced the decision to begin the process of beatification and canonization of Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young lay missionary murdered in Bolivia in 2017.The prelate said that after the preliminary phase began in December 2022, he made the decision to officially open the process for Kmiec after having consulted the Polish Bishops' Conference and receiving the go-ahead from the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints."With this edict I call on all those who have any document, letter, or information about the Servant of God, both positive and negative, to send them to the Metropolitan Curia of Krakow before June 30," the archbish...