RESISTANCE AND MARTYRDOM
Justice and Peace Meeting in Guatemala
Doris Regan O.P. (Columbus)
Justice and Peace Promoter for CODALC
in Central America)
GUATEMALA , CA – December 3, 2007-- The Mesoamerican Justice
and Peace Meeting, held in Guatemala November 12-16, commemorated
the massacres in Bajo Vera Paz (Rabinal) between1981-1983 (more
than 80% of the 669 different massacres in Guatemala occurred
during these years) and also the anniversary of the assassination
of Fr Carlos Morales O.P. in 1982. The territory of Vera Paz
is called “Dominican territory” and Rabinal was
founded in 1535 by Bartolome de Las Casas. The Dominican friars
have been there ever since, ministering to the Mayan indigenous
population.
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Ritual in honor of fr. Carlos Morales, OP assassinated
in 1982. |
The seminar was sponsored by Justice and Peace Coordinators
from CODALC and CIDALC and by the Central American Province.
Forty seven Dominican friars, sisters and laity attended from
El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala in Central
America; Argentina and Peru in South America.; Mexico; and the
Justice and Peace promoters for North America: - Dusty Farnan,
OP (Adrian) and Chuck Dahm, OP (St. Albert).
The convocation- invitation to the meeting stated that “Rabinal
can be considered a paradigmatic place in the recent history
of violence, resistance and martyrdom of Guatemala. It will also
take into account the national, Latin American and world context
of yesterday and today.” Its objectives were to make
us conscience of the reality of the lived violence and its consequences
as we complete 25 years from the time of the massacres. It was
also to be a theological reading, reflecting on the feeling and
extent of the resistance and martyrdom of a people, and listening
to faith testimonies of survivors. An important point for the
planners of the event was the recuperation of the historic memory
in order to discern in it the challenges and difficulties for
our mission today and to elaborate lines of action and criteria
for solidarity and accompaniment of the Dominican Family in similar
situations.
Some of the most profound moments of the workshop occurred in
our prayer times. The first evening was a service prepared by
Sr Esperanza Sanchez O.P.– herself a Mayan, in which we
were invited to participate fully in the ritual of her people
with candles, incense, and prayer gestures. During the first
full day on Tuesday, November 13, we heard presentations by Juan
Hernandez Pico S.J. and Fernando Suazo on the history of Guatemala
in the past 25 years and of Rabinal`s history of violence and
massacres, the military presence and systematic annihilation
of a people. (Guatemala is 70% indigenous).
The theological reflection dealt with Resistance and Martyrdom,
with individual histories and memories of Fr Melchor Fraj O.P.
who accompanied the people at that time, of Monsignor Juan Gerardi
and the Truth Commission report he published in April of 1989
which traced the history of the massacres and repression and “named
names” of those responsible- (the Guatemalan military were
responsible for 93% of the deaths during that time.) He was assassinated
two days after the “NEVER AGAIN” report was published.
Two Dominican Sisters (Rosario Celis and Juana Vasquez) spoke
of the years of gathering the information for that report, the
silence and the fear accompanying the process. We had also heard
the story of the murder of Fr. Carlos Morales in a moving Morning
Prayer service presented by friars of the Central American Province.
On Wednesday the 15th, we headed out at 5 am for Rabinal and
Plan de Sanchez (the part of the Rabinal parish further up into
the mountains, where the massacres occurred). Our bus broke down
midway into what was supposed to be only a four hour ride, and
so we hopped on the local bus and arrived in Rabinal very late
but in time for some coffee prepared by the parish and then on
to Plan de Sanchez in cars and trucks to attend the anniversary
liturgy. The local people were awaiting us in the Sanctuary which
has been built over what was originally a house and beneath which
the remains of those assassinated are buried. The Sanctuary commemorates
the 184 community members who were assassinated on July 18, 1982.
The names of each person who died are inscribed on the wall and
in the front are three crosses dedicated to the men, women and
children who were kidnapped, tortured, raped and killed. There
is also a statement written above the crosses that demands no
more murders of innocent people. We heard testimonies from some
of the 20 survivors of the massacre and afterwards were shown
the original burial sites where the survivors were forced to
place the victims immediately after the houses were burned. Fr
Pablo Irribaren O.P. (Mexico) preached and Bernardino Xitumul,
a Mayan community member, translated it into Quiche. Pablo
spoke on the text of Isaias 52 and the Beatitudes and reminded
us of Antonio Montesino`s stirring preaching against the Spanish
authorities and their cruelty towards the native populations
early on in their arrival to the Americas. It was indeed a sacred
moment in a holy place and one wanted to remove one`s shoes
on entering and remain kneeling long after mass ended..
The community treated us to a meal before going down to Rabinal
again to experience a community folkloric celebration with the
Sisters of Charity who have been present there for many years.
Again individuals gave testimonies that evening and their stories
moved us to tears as they spoke of a wife who was killed, a man
who lost his whole family, a woman who was raped and a woman
who was 13 at the time and saw it all and still wonders why she
was not taken by the military although her family was.
On Thursday, we returned to Guatemala City without mishap and
listened to talks on the present day reality of Guatemala and
of Rabinal. Each day we had time for group work by countries,
and by ministries along with plenary sessions. We spent the evening
in the public cemetery where there are memorials with the names
of all the massacred and participated in a Mayan service for
the dead. The final day of Friday was the anniversary of the
murder of the Jesuits and their cook and her daughter in Salvador.
The Salvadoran contingent planned another powerful morning prayer
commemorating these martyrs. We also wrote a declaration from
all of us protesting the continued operation of the School of
the Americas. Dusty Farnan, OP (Adrian) North American CoPromoter
of Justice and Peace, left us that day to participate in
the march in Georgia and was to have someone read it aloud at
the entrance to Fort Benning, GA. (see related story)
We spent the morning looking at the final document we were preparing
that would be a tangible result of the workshop. The intangibles
remain in our hearts- the deep faith of a people who were denigrated
and annihilated but willing to speak and to live on with the
memories of their beloved still alive in them and spurring them
on. Their cause was heard in the International Court and declared
a true case of ethnic genocide and the Guatemala Government has
been condemned and declared responsible. Some of the testimonies
we heard had been given personally to the International Court
in Costa Rica in 2004- bringing to the public a process that
had been begun in 1992. The process continues as the government
has been given 5 years to settle on some sort of remuneration
for the victims and three years have already gone by with no
action on its part.
We came away from this experience with much sadness for what
has happened but even more, with a joyful hope and gratitude
to the God of Life that the testimonies of the witnesses produced
in us. May their love of life and their deep commitment to their
people and to their community penetrate our lives as well!
Doris Regan O.P. (Columbus) Justice and Peace Promoter for CODALC
in Central America)
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