Peace building does not belong to the Church alone, Colombian bishop insists

Bogotá, Colombia, Mar 17, 2010 / 20:08 pm

Bishop Jaime Prieto Amaya of Cucuta in Colombia said this week during a forum on national reconciliation that “all men and women” in the country must take up the task of building peace and not “leave it only in the hands of the Church.”

The forum was organized by the National Reconciliation Commission and was held at the San Jose Seminary in Cucuta.  During his remarks, Bishop Prieto said, “The theme of peace is of such seriousness that we cannot leave it merely in the hands of leaders or politicians or administrators or economists or experts on violence.”

“The issue of peace is so complex that neither can we leave it merely only in the hands of the Church or the Churches,” he continued. “Peace is a task for all, men and women. It is real issue and the reality is not only material or temporal.  It is also eternal and transcendent,” he underscored.

The bishop voiced his support for events such as the forum, which help to focus proposals and actions for improving the country in a way that brings together efforts at the local and national levels.

The forum in Cucuta was attended by some 500 individuals, including civil, military and Church officials.  Its final conclusions will be presented at a National Meeting in Bogota at the Bishops’ Conference of Colombia March 29-31.