Golpe de estado – day 13

There’s a lot of fear and anxiety here in Honduras, even while teams from both “presidents” meet with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. There are also those who fear that it may get worse. I don’t know.

Both sides had demonstrations today, from what I read. The protests throughout the country against the coup seems to have been mostly the work of teachers. Just outside of town the road was blocked off for several hours.

But the biggest question is “Where will this lead?” I hope, at least in the short run, to some sort of peace. But, as I’ve said, that is not enough.

There are all sorts of ramifications of the coup. A program to promote maternal and infant health in about three hundred towns in this region of Honduras is being put on hold. The funds were coming from the World Bank which has frozen all its funding. Again, the poor suffer.

This morning I read the statement from the Dominican provincial for Central America, Father Alex Páez Ovares, OP, and Father Carlos Flores, OP, the Peace and Justice Coordinator. Here are two paragraphs, translated on the blog iglesia descalza (The Barefoot Church):

16. We call on all religious and members of the Dominican Family in Central America to categorically reject, based on the principles stated here, the coup inflicted on the Honduran democratic institution and call for national and international support for the restoration of the same [the democratic institution] as soon as possible.

17. At the same time, we are called to express our solidarity with the neediest, the poorest and the most excluded people in Honduras, who are also those who have been most affected -- and sometimes even manipulated -- by critical situations like the present one.

The document is about five pages long and fairly theological – which one should expect from a Dominican. I have placed a downloaded copy of the Spanish on my website: http://home.igc.org/~jdonaghy/PRONUNCIAMIENTO%20PROVINCIAL-GOLPE%20DE%20ESTADO%20HONDURAS.doc (Additional link for the document in Spanish: http://www.adital.org.br/site/noticia.asp?lang=ES&cod=39689)

Last night I translated the Central American Jesuits’ Social Apostolate statement. The title, which was not on the copy I had received, is “The Truth will make you free.” It’s a very strong statement, but I especially am moved by this section:

The poor, ultimately, are those who will suffer by the break up of the fragile freedoms of democracy in Honduras and in whatever other country in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in the world. We wish to serve the poor in the pursuit of peace inseparable from justice and the defense of democratic cultural values, which include participation in the public life of civil society.

Again, what is missing in much of the debate and political maneuvering is “How will this give life – in abundance – to the poor?” It’s so much about holding on to power and to one’s wealth. It’s so much about legal interpretation.

For me, the words of the late Pope John Paul II ring true, but are so often ignored, especially here: “The needs of the poor take priority over the desires of the rich.”

A side note. This week Pope Benedict XVI issued his social justice encyclical, Caritas in Veritate – Charity in Truth. I’m trying to slowly work through it. I am sure it will have relevance for our crisis here in Honduras. Expect a theological blog entry on “Honduras and Pope Benedict.”

Peace - with justice and reconciliation.