Consejo Episcopal de Honduras
Honduran Bishops
Conference
MESSAGE
“The people
who walked in darkness have seen a great light…You have increased the
rejoicing; you have made great the joy. Joy for your presence.”
(Isaiah 9: 1-2)
We, the bishop members of the Honduras Bishops Conference,
in our last meeting of this year, have reflected on the message which the Word of
God has offered us on the Third Sunday of Advent. John the Baptist, in prison,
sends a question to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come or must we wait
another?” (Matthew 11:3) For us, the child born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem
is the Savior whom humanity needs. We had no need to wait another!
This is the true meaning of Christmas. Therefore, we ought
not reduce it to a mere festival of the end of the year. Nor should it serve to
forget the serious problems and difficulties which we are suffering in our
country. Rather, Christmas ought to help us to take into account what the Lord
asks us to do, in order to transform our world into a place of respect for
human rights and to live in justice, truth, peace, and solidarity.
We are living difficult times, because of the political
situation, the economy, the insecurity and lack of employment; it is not
strange that a great part of the population voices its lack of faith and hope
in nothing and in nobody.
In opposition to this discouragement, we want to share
reasons for hope, fundamentally in our faith in Christ, the Savior. The birth
of Jesus in Bethlehem “is the unique and extraordinary event which has changed
the course of history,” affirmed Pope Francis, commenting on the significance
and value of the Christmas Crib which many families put up in their homes (Cf.
Apostolic Letter Admirable Signum, n. 8).
If we let ourselves be enlightened by the values which
Christ teaches us, we will be able to change the course of history for
Honduras.
Returning to the text of the Gospel for the Third Sunday of
advent, Jesus gives testimony of himself with the signs already announced by
the prophet Isaiah; they are liberating actions which the Lord fulfills in
favor of the marginalized, the blind, the lame, lepers, the deaf, the dead,
etc. — above all, the major sign which is to announce the Good New to the poor.
And Jesus adds: “Blessed is the one for whom this is not a motive of scandal.” (Matthew11:
6)
The call of Jesus not to be scandalized by his commitment
with the poor and his demands for justice, truth, liberty, and solidarity for everyone,
sharpens the scandal and shamefulness which the actions of the State’s power provoke.
These powers, above all from the Congress of the Republic, against political
ethics and the will of the people, whom they don’t listen to, allow them to decree
corruption, their own immunity, and, even more, to attack those who wish to eradicate
[the corruption], like the MACCIH, the CNA, and groups of the civil society.
Therefore, we want to reaffirm what we said before, in relation to our support
of the MACCIH, UFECIC, the CNA, and the institutions which struggle against
corruption. Likewise, we support the continuation of the MACCIH in Honduras,
for the time which is considered opportune, until our institutionality is
sufficiently strengthened and independent.
The word “scandal” means dishonor,
trap, obstacle which causes indignation. And
it is precisely in the indignation of society that we see another reason for
hope. Because, far from wanting Honduras to enter into a spiral of violence, what
we hope for is that the common sense of public and private powers makes them understand
that, in order to save our country from drowning, most people no longer want to
count on them or believe in them.
Therefore, our hope is also
that new leaders rise up in all the areas of the national work: new leaders not
contaminated by corruption and alliances with organized crime and
drug-trafficking, leaders with a modern vision of how to do politics and to return
Honduras to the prestige which it should never have lost.
The true Christmas helps us convert our heart and liberate us
from consumerism, to which neoliberalism wants to submit us. Referring to the
images of the three Magi, which we put in the Christmas Crib after Christmas,
Pope Francis says, “A great joy came upon them before the Infant King. They were
not scandalized by the poverty of the surroundings and did not hesitate to fall
on their knees and adore him. Before Him, they understand that God, in addition
to regulating the course of the stars with sovereign wisdom, guides the course
of history bringing down the might from their thrones and raising up the lowly.”
(Cf. Apostolic Letter Admirable Signum, n. 9.)
Mary and Joseph, in the Christmas Crib, watching over the
Child who is LIFE, are the model which all the families of Honduras should take
for themselves. Like them, we ought to endeavor to be a family integrated and
united by the ties of love and mutual care – family which shares difficulties
without losing hope; family open to life together with other families,
migrants, support groups, faith groups, groups of social commitments.
They incarnate the hope that Honduran families need to face the
economic pressure, the abuse of the cost of public services, and many more
difficulties.
To all the Catholic faithful, to all believers and all people
of good will, we wish that the tenderness of God which is manifested in the
birth of His Son, fill your hearts and let you live the authentic Christmas.
Danlí, El Paraíso, 18 December 2019
Mons Angel
Garachana Pérez
Obispo de San Pedro Sula
y Presidente de la C.E.H.
Obispo de San Pedro Sula
y Presidente de la C.E.H.
Rev. P. Emigdio
Duarte Figueroa
Secretario General de la C.E.H
Secretario General de la C.E.H
[Original in Spanish can be found here.]
