"Acteal has been converted into the fountain of hope for many, many people."
This was the message of Raul Vera, an adjunct bishop here in Chiapas, in a
recent sermon given in Acteal, the site of a massacre of indigenous people
in the war being waged in Chiapas.
Ten CPTers, including 6 team members and four delegation members,
participated in a mass last month celebrating the culmination of Bishop
Samuel Ruiz's forty years of service as bishop and spiritual leader in this
diocese. The Abejas (The Civil Society of the Bees) also officially passed
the responsibility of their spiritual leadership from Tatic Samuel (as
Bishop Ruiz is known by the indigenous people here) to Bishop Raul Vera.
The liturgy began with the bishops both donning the traditional dress of
elders in the Tzotzil Mayan culture. A ritual of transferring of
responsibility for spiritual leadership from Ruiz to Vera was followed by
scripture readings, singing by the local choir, powerful sermons from both
bishops and then the breaking of bread. Many dozens of young adults were
accepted as full members in the church in the sacrament of confirmation.
In his sermon Bishop Vera also thanked the local community for their
steadfast commitment to the gospel of love. In spite of this "ignominious,
terrible act," as Raul described the massacre, the local community continues
to believe in the possibility of justice and peace.
"The value of the gospel has converted what [the paramilitaries and Mexican
government] wanted to be an act of terror into a mysterious force which
maintains hope," said Bishop Vera.
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Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative among Mennonite and Church of
the Brethren congregations and Friends Meetings that supports violence
reduction efforts around the world. CPT P. O. Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680
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