The will of God, manifested through His Holiness Pope JohnXXIII, asked of me since over 38 years ago to serve as Bishop of the Diocese that at that time was called of Chiapas and, after the creation of the diocese of Tuxtla Gutierrez, of the one that has been known as San Cristobal de las Casas, due to the name of where it resided.
The specific task of an evangelizing action, directed towards everyone but specially the poorest and most in need, in our case the indigenous, was understood by us and always lived, as the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, this means, the announcing and construction of the Kingdom of God with Justice, in Truth, in Love and in Peace.
It is also true that the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, in which sessions by the grace of God I participated, added a special enlightment that helped me better understand the historical impact of pastoral work.
From that, when in January 1994 an armed conflict emerged, we Bishops of Chiapas did not doubt to condemn the violence, while at the same time we recognized the just causes that it raised and we offered our good offices in order to seek a peaceful resolution. We considered this as something within our pastoral duties. In the same way, I did not consider outside the episcopal mission, the proposal to participate in the National Mediation Commission, (CONAI) and serve as mediator in a process of dialogs that sought a peaceful solution for Chiapas and for the whole country. More over, we accepted at the Diocese that the first phase of the dialogs, that due to the circumstances demanded special security, could take place in the Cathedral, that in this way became a symbol of our concern for Peace.
We have not ignored, in accepting the Mediation: that the process of Peace had a national and international dimension; that it provoked at different levels great and legitimate expectations; that it was going to bring with itself, misunderstanding, suffering and all sorts of pressures; that CONAI would have to go through different stages and adapt itself to guarantee each part, mexican civil society and to the international consortium before who's watch this process has developed, the credibility of the affirmations and actions within it developed; that the Mediation was at the service of each Part: Government and EZLN, without representing either one of them before the other, or before society, rather, situated in the process of Peace.
On the other hand, several conditions that affected the continuation of the dialogs, mentioned by the EZLN and considered compliable by the Government, were recognized, but later considered unacceptable. The fulfillment of what was agreed upon at Table 1 of San Andres became repeated affirmations that do not get settled. The EZLN, due to this situation, said it's last words and plunged in to along, understandably and at the end, heavy silence, that was understood by the other part as a rejection to the dialogs.
At the present time, in spite of the affirmations said to the contrary, it is evident that the Government has given up on the dialogs according to the format observed in San Andres, to put into effect unilaterally what was agreed upon and to to proceed to the pending theme, calling for a direct dialogs without the need of any Mediation.
It is also been verified, that besides the interruption of the dialogs, there is not only a deterioration of the situation in Chiapas and the whole country, but also a constant and growing governmental aggression against the Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas, the Mediation and against the Mediator, that has been launched by several official institutions and recently done so, with signs and words, by the same head of State in diverse occasions. This aggression against the Diocese, that got started even before the conflict, has become a systematic persecution against the Diocese and has taken place in numerous actions: expulsion of seven priests with false accusations; denial in practice of residency to the foreign pastoral agents; the inprisonment of four priests falsely accused and with blatant violation to their human rights; the closure of some 40 temples (some of them occupied by the mexican army); arrest orders to numerous priests, religious andmissionaries; pressure to various peasants for them to affirm that the Diocese delivers weapons to the communities; directives to various media for them to distort the news; generating a lynching climate; desecration of the Holy Eucharist in various temples, done by Public Security Police. All of which indicates that this religious persecution is not only directed against our Diocese, with the pretext of the Mediation for a dialogs, but visualizes the catholic Church in the whole Country.
With the limitations of human nature, the Mediation has fulfilled it's work, straining itself during critical moments in an effort that the dialogs would not break, without regards to it's own welfare. It is clear to me that one phase of the process of peace has ended, in which we fulfilled with responsibility what was our duty in order to edify it. I give thanks to all those who accompanied me with the mediation task, in particular, to the members of CONAI, who with generosity and enthusiasm gave their contribution for Peace.
Another phase will have to be constructed in which the conditions of a process of peace with dialogs and negotiation that look for a peaceful solution to the causes of the conflict will havetobe recreated. The building of Peace is for every Bishop, a task he can not give up on, that is fulfilled in different ways and through diverse means throughout history, according to the situations that we go through.
I will continue, with the strength from God and the light of the Spirit, with the determination to build the true Peace from Chiapas, knowing that this can not be confused with that that results from selective repression of the communities, nor with the confrontations that others provoke in them, nor can it be reached by taken the roads of dislocating which breaks the unity of legitimate differences. The demand of individual and collective rights is part of our Pastoral action.
The present Roman Pontiff, his Holiness John Paul II, (who's presence in Mexico is announced for the coming January 22), summarized it this way, addressing the Youth of the world this past April 7th: "The rights of the person are the key elements of all social order. they reflect the objective and unforgettable demands of a moral universal law, that has it's origin in God, first Truth and Supreme Good. Precisely for that reason they are the basis and measure of any human organization, and only based on them can a human society be built, that is worthy of men, rooted only in truth, articulated according to the demands of justice and lived in love. Before the diverse forms of oppression that exist in the world, the Church does not doubt in denouncing violence, with courage."
In this new phase, besides the work of reconciliation and a new unity where there are no excluded, becomes evident it is the responsibility of all, to build a new order, with a historical conscience that encompasses impressively, a social rainbow that widens each day. Profound reconciliation, unity that calls all, participation that is more diverse and conscientious, seeking the true justice, are the roads that all those who's objective is to build Peace, must walk.
"So that you edify and plant"
Samuel Ruiz Garcia, Bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas