May 14, 2007 / 10:07 am
The president of the Bishops’ Conference of Colombia, Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro, has rejected a proposal by paramilitary leaders for the Church to be a filter for the release of information by the armed groups, saying the Church will not allow itself to be used an instrument to keep certain facts in the dark.
According to local media reports, leaders of the United Self-Defenses of Colombia who are currently imprisoned proposed that the Church act as a kind of filter for the release of their confessions. “The Church in no way can agree to be an instrument so that some of the truth remains in the dark. We want to collaborate so that everything comes out into the light,” Archbishop Castro said.
After meeting with President Alvaro Uribe, the archbishop reaffirmed the Church’s desire to collaborate in bring the full truth to light, “and naturally it is important to say it, so that this truth might contribute to forgiveness and reconciliation.”
Archbishop Castro said the Colombian president is committed to bringing out all of the truth, “the complete truth, without hiding one iota of the truth.” He also said President Uribe has rejected a proposal to filter the confessions through government officials.