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The new archbishop of Bogotá, Monsignor Luis José Rueda, leaves the Archdiocese of Popayán with the slogan that it is necessary to enter the neighborhoods of the capital of the Republic with social works and promoting a message of reconciliation. He hopes that the country can free itself from drug trafficking and violence.
The prelate, born in San Gil (Santander) on March 3, 1962, said he was surprised by the appointment because he considers that “he is not the most holy or the most prepared, but he appreciates the decision of the Supreme Pontiff to continue with the mission of the church.
He highlights that after his stay in Cauca, this is a land with which there is a historical, social, economic and political debt that needs to be paid. He spoke about pedophile priests and asked for forgiveness on behalf of the Church.
Monsignor Rueda was one of the promoters of the peace process with the Farc, as well as an iron claimant for the murders of social, peasant and indigenous leaders in Cauca.
With his 58 years of life, he becomes prelate number 46 in directing the jurisdiction of the Colombian capital. He was a sarcedote for 31 years.
After his ordination, he had the opportunity to pursue specialization studies in Moral Theology, obtaining a degree from the Alfonsian Academy in Rome. In 2012, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Montelíbano. In 2018, Pope Francis appointed him as Archbishop of the Cauca capital.
During his stay in Cauca, he repudiated the massacres last year of peasant and indigenous leaders. Thus, on November 4, he came to the Tacueyó reservation in the north of this region for the murder of five indigenous people. There he gave a message to the relatives of the victims and called for the end of the war to the violent.
In an interview with EL TIEMPO, Monsignor Rueda also spoke about the challenges Colombia faces due to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus.
How did you receive the Pope’s appointment?
First, I receive it with great faith, because I know that the voice of the Pope is the voice of the Church, is the successor of Peter and is responsible for the unity of the Universal Church. Second, with great gratitude, because I know that the things that come from God are things that are leading for the good and the life of our peoples, because that is our mission and for that we ordain ourselves priestsAnd third, I am surprised, because I believe that without being the most holy or the most prepared, the Lord has noticed me and that means that it is a surprise of the mercy of God, but in the midst of all that, I I have to serve.
So, I receive the appointment and the appointment with total availability, with total obedience to the will of God and with a desire to serve society from the Archdiocesan Church of Bogotá.
What does it mean for you to become the new head of the country’s capital?
It means that I am one more servant, one more worker in the vineyard of the Lord, in the construction of God and that I want to assume with humility and a lot of fraternity because I just cannot carry out any mission. I must know that I am a small part of the total gear and that in communion, my mission will be more fruitful and I do not intend anything individually, because that would be to boast and what I intend is to serve with humility as a granite within the entire Bogota community, say Church and say whole society.
What does it mean to replace Monsignor Rubén Salazar?
A very great honor, because he is a brilliant, outstanding man, he is a cardinal of the Church, a man who has made Colombia look good throughout the world. He is a very prepared man, very intelligent, very apostolic, of a trajectory that allowed me to be bishop of Cúcuta and later, Archbishop in Barranquilla and later as president in the Episcopal Conference. The only thing I have to say about him is thanks for his fraternity, for his dedication and for allowing me to succeed him in that role and in that important mission.
What will your apostolate be in Bogotá, will that change compared to what you did in Popayán?
Let’s say the apostolate has two faces. On the one hand it is the same, because it is announcing Christ, which is the mission that He gave us, serving the human community, striving to sanctify ourselves personally and helping to sanctify others. Comfort with the word of God, with the sacraments and with the presence of Christ. The flip side is in the change of scenery. There are the challenges of the most important city in Colombia and the challenges that Bogotá has in this social context and in this health emergency, causing there to be some special nuances of service.
You who have defended the peace process on several occasions, what do you think of leaving an area hit by internal conflict, illicit crops and dissident groups and moving to one with other types of conflicts and social problems?
I believe that Colombia is one and that although Cauca has these situations, also these situations, drug trafficking, war, violence, social inequality, aggressiveness, there are in Bogotá, it would be necessary to enter the neighborhoods, the communes, to the localities of Bogotá and meet the suffering human being and where there is a suffering human being, we as a Church have the attitude of Christ, of the Good Samaritan, to stop, accompany and proclaim peace, to invite reconciliation and to defend life, being witnesses of hope.
You will arrive in a city that at the moment by covid-19 faces the exacerbation of problems such as poverty, extreme poverty and intra-family violence. As a hierarch in Bogotá, how can you help to overcome these tensions?
We must contribute everything, first we must say that this is a time to reconcile ourselves deeply, with us, as a family, within the family, if there is reconciliation within the family, there is reconciliation with the neighbors and with society, and that reconciliation will that we value each other, that we respect life, that we show solidarity, that we are attentive, that we overcome all indifference, because the worst that can happen is having problems and being indifferent. When we have problems and are fraternal, we accompany each other, because we will always have problems, but as long as there is a renewed attitude, an open heart to feel the other as someone who belongs to me, then we can contribute to these challenges and I go there as a worker for God, to serve with the rest of the workers in Bogotá.
He is recognized for having defended the peace process on several occasions and forcefully rejecting violence against social leaders. Will you continue doing it with the same vehemence from Bogotá?
Perhaps more firmly, with more conviction, because from Bogotá I can tell the whole country that we as a Church are called to denounce, to reject, everything that is drug trafficking, everything that is war, violence, and everything that is corruption. We are called to respect life, to seek an economy that is not an economy of death, to reconcile ourselves as Colombians, to rebuild peace, not to fall into polarizations of any kind, to know that we are humanity, that we are the family of God, who makes a pilgrimage in Colombia and that united Colombians are stronger.
What message do you leave for the parishioners of Popayán, del Cauca, who welcomed you so long?
To the parishioners of Popayán, del Cauca and to all the inhabitants of this southwestern Colombians who love them and carry them in my heart forever, who have taught me to suffer and fight with faith and who dream that Cauca will be seen with the eyes of responsibility for all local rulers and for national rulers. The Cauca is a diamond that must be polished and put to shine in the Colombian geography, because there are indigenous people, there are Afros, because we have the Pacific Ocean, because we have the Colombian Massif, because it passes the Pan-American highway, but that there is a historical, social debt , economic, political, that needs to be paid for this region to progress fully and as Pope Francis tells us, comprehensive human development must be built permanently and that it is a time to continue fighting for this cause.
What do you think of the cases of child abuse that have hit the Catholic Church? How are you going to proceed in the face of religious who commit such acts?
It is a pain, it is a regrettable wound. I take the victims and children, youth, families who have been wounded in Colombia, I ask for forgiveness on behalf of the Church and I say that we accompany them spiritually and psychologically so that they can rebuild their lives, and with all regulations – which both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis have implemented in order to heal these wounds – to listen to all the complaints and to solve this great suffering within the Church; that we achieve it among all, starting with each one of us, that we can be healed and that the Church can be an instrument of sanctification for children, youth and adults, with trust placed in the Lord. I ask the Lord for forgiveness for everything that I have committed against the purity of people and also for everything that I have not seen and that has not healed in time and I do my part so that we can all sanctify ourselves, and I ask that we all be able to contribute so that children and young people, victims of pedophilia are defended, healed and put in their place within society and within the Church.
With regard to the situation of the coronavirus that the country is experiencing, the anxiety in the cities, the issue of hunger in the homes, that because of not being able to work, there is no food, what is your position regarding this?
There are many people suffering, because they do not have a job, because they have no roof, because they do not have medical care, because they are withdrawn from care centers, because there are very good intentions of our leaders at the national and local levels, but I feel that they lack networks. . I invite us to build networks and look at the one who is suffering next to us. Many put a mask on, also on their eyes and their hearts, let’s put the mask on our mouth to defend ourselves, but that our eyes and our hearts are open to look beyond our house and reach out to those who have the red flag , to those who are suffering, even to those who do not dare to put up the flag, but who are in need of our help. This is a time for fraternity and solidarity and then comes a time for healing, rebuilding, peace and reconciliation.
Michel Romoleroux Halaby
Special for TIME
