Pope Mexico: Bishop Raul Vera Lopez on the legacy of
Bishop Samuel Ruiz
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis
took off from Rome’s Fiumicino airport this morning on an Apostolic visit to
Mexico. While there he will celebrate Mass in the Basilica of Guadalupe,
meet with families and young people and there will be a Meeting with
the World of Culture. He will also make a visit to city of San
Cristóbal de Las Casas and celebrate Holy Mass with the
indigenous community of Chiapas. Our Correspondent Veronica Scarisbrick
who is awaiting Pope Francis in Mexico, found out more about the community and
it’s much loved late Bishop.
The late Bishop Samuel Ruiz
Garcia is an iconic figure in Mexico. You may have heard of him, he lived and
worked for many years in the southern state of Chiapas along the
border with Guatemala. That's from 1959 to 1999.
Precisely at San Cristobal de
Las Casas where Pope Francis will go on Monday 15th of February and where he'll
celebrate Holy Mass at the City's Sports Centre with the Mayan indigenous
community.
Here in Mexico I caught up
with someone who worked closely with him and eventually inherited the diocese.
He's Bishop Raul Vera Lopez a Dominican who describes the time
spent with his predecessor as 'a moment of grace from God'.
Bishop Ruiz was once a
familiar figure in his diocese, often perceived riding on the back of a mule
along the highland paths on the way to visit the people of one of the
villages or towns of his diocese. Speaking to the people there
in their own Mayan languages by the unpronounceable names.
But while he was very much
loved by the local people who lived in extreme poverty, he was also criticised
by the local government and by Rome. Because he had begun to apply the
teachings he had learnt both during the Second Vatican Council and from
the Medellin Conference of Latin American Bishops. Empowering the
indigenous people to defend their cultures and traditions and founding the Fray
Bartolomé de Las Casas human rights centre.
Over the years Bishop Vera
has drawn inspiration from his example and has promoted human rights in every
possible way. Recently in a special way he assists parents and families of
'desaparecidos' through an organisation by the name of FUNDEC.
Importantly in December he
made it his mission to travel to Rome to inform Pope Francis of the
current situation in Mexico regarding human rights. To make quite sure
Francis might prepare his Apostolic visit in touch with the reality
in the nation today
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