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The Archbishop of Santiago, Monsignor Celestino Aós, released a heartfelt message regarding the vandalization of two churches on the anniversary of October 18.
On the one hand, it is the San Francisco de Borja Church, an institutional temple of the Carabineros that was looted by protesters and where a fire later started.
On the other hand, a violent fire affected the Parroquia la Asunción also located in Santiago, a building that ended up completely destroyed.
In this context, Monsignor Aos released a message addressed to the Catholic faithful, which was recorded in a video that was published on YouTube:
Sisters and brothers: Peace and Good.
Violence is bad, and whoever sows violence reaps destruction, pain and death. Let us never justify any violence.
A year ago we suffered an outbreak of violence that caused us so much personal pain, and so much material destruction that we thought would have been a bitter and strong lesson. It has cost us to rebuild the facilities, and it has demanded the most impoverished sacrifices and constant discomfort; life became more difficult for them.
The poor are the most affected. We hoped that those actions and those images would not be repeated. Violent actions and vandalism images we suffer again today.
We feel the destruction of our temples and other public assets; but above all we feel the pain of so many Chilean people of peace and generosity. These images not only impact and hurt in Chile, but also impact and hurt in other countries and other peoples of the world, especially Christian brothers.
At this time I know the tremendous pain of the parishioners of the Parish of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and the parish of Carabineros. Know and feel that we are united with you: let us not lose faith or hope: love is stronger, love is stronger.
To all of you, dear parishioners of Santiago, to all of you dear Chileans and people of good will and lovers of peace, I beg you: enough, enough violence. Let’s not justify the unjustifiable. God does not want violence.
We will meet to do acts of redress and reparation as a believing community. Now I invite you to prayer, to purify our hearts so that neither the desire for revenge, nor rancor, nor hatred, nor violence gets into us.
Today, with more fervor, together with Our Lady of Carmen, we pray “Make me an instrument of your Peace …” Blessed are those who work for peace, blessed are those who today can close the day saying: I have worked for a better Chile, I have worked building peace.
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