Cardinal Cipriani calls for “truce” to allow new Peruvian government to take form

Lima, Peru, Jun 7, 2006 / 22:00 pm

The Archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, sent greetings to the new President-elect of Peru, Alan Garcia, and called for a political “truce” in order to allow the new government to be set up and to heal the wounds of the electoral season.

“I think this suggestion is reasonable, because the government needs a period of maturity, things cannot be done in 24 hours.  An atmosphere of calm needs to be established and this will take place in a reasonable amount of time so that the new government can begin implementing its policies,” the cardinal said.

“I have come to express my congratulations to Dr. Garcia and to ask that whatever words or gestures that were hurtful during the campaign die down, because we believe that we are in a new stage,” he added.

Cardinal Cipriani said his conversation with Garcia was amicable and that the two discussed the defense of life from the moment of conception and the importance of religious formation in young people.

On the other hand, the cardinal called for the differences between Peru and Venezuela to be settled.  “We have gone through difficult moments but I think that Latin America deserves to work in unity and therefore I hope that steps are taken to restore that climate of cooperation.”