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January 23, 2002
Argentine bishops accept call to organize national talks
Bishops to monitor conduct of participants and offer opinions
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNS) — The Argentine bishops have accepted the government's call to organize a national unity dialogue in a country "that has lost its way," said the president of the bishops' conference.
Archbishop Estanislao Karlic of Parana was referring to the economic and political crisis that has led to deadly street protests, five presidents in two weeks, a default of foreign debt payments and a 40 percent currency devaluation.
Bishop Juan Maccarone of Santiago del Estero said the Church would be an active player, monitoring the credibility of the participants and offering its views about solutions, but Bishop Hector Cardelli of Concordia said he doubted that the Church's voice would be heard.
Archbishop Karlic said Argentina must "escape from the humiliation caused by so much corruption, deception and greed" and rebuild the country "from its foundations."
He spoke Jan. 14 on national television following President Eduardo Duhalde's televised speech convoking the dialogue among government, political, labor, economic and business leaders to seek consensus solutions to the crisis.
Duhalde, with the archbishop seated at his right, read his TV talk inside the St. Catherine of Siena Convent in Buenos Aires.
About 89 percent of Argentina's 36 million inhabitants profess Catholicism.
The archbishop said that getting out of the current crisis involved creating new jobs, government and political reforms, fine-tuning justice, eliminating privilege and ending the "stealing of public funds and goods."
The bishops offered to organize a national dialogue Jan. 8, after weeks of street demonstrations, food riots and looting left nearly 30 people dead. Demonstrators were protesting an unemployment rate of more than 18 percent, the bankruptcies of many companies and banking restrictions that virtually froze accounts.
The protests led to the resignation of President Fernando de la Rua two years before the end of his term.
Street protests continued as three interim presidents held office for several days each until the National Congress elected Duhalde to finish De la Rua's term.
Hours before Duhalde and the archbishop spoke Jan. 14, street demonstrators demanding food clashed with police at the main wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Buenos Aires.
In his speech, Archbishop Karlic criticized the violent protests, saying dialogue was the only path to resolving problems.
Bishop Maccarone, one of the three Church representatives in the national dialogue, said earlier Jan. 14 that the bishops also would monitor the conduct of the participants and offer opinions.
"We will witness to the loyalty or disloyalty of the players," he said.
"We have a social doctrine that can help us make judgments," he said.
Bishop Cardelli was cautious about the possible success of a national dialogue and the Church's influence.
"The Church is not listened to. It is only used as a last resort because of its moral value," he said shortly before the televised talks.
"The people will feel accompanied by a word of comfort, but the situation will remain the same," he said.
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