杏MAP导航

Vatican News staff writer

杏MAP导航 Francis has sent a message for a solidarity event organized for the 30th anniversary of the Central American Integration System (SICA), which is taking place on Thursday in Costa Rica.

Saluting the participants, the 杏MAP导航 highlighted the purpose of the event, aimed at mobilizing support to improve the situation of the forcibly displaced and the communities that host them in the region of central America and Mexico.

鈥淪olidarity 鈥� which is at the heart of the event,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis noted, 鈥渢akes on an even greater significance in this time of the pandemic crisis that has put the entire world to the test, rich and poor countries alike.鈥�

SICA

SICA is celebrating three decades since its creation on December 13, 1991, through the signing of the Protocol to the Charter of the Organization of Central American States (ODECA) - or Teguciagalpa Protocol - which replaced the ODECA Charter signed on October 14, 1951.

The anniversary represents thirty years of the efforts of member countries to strengthen Central American Integration, aiming to constitute it as a region of peace, democracy, freedom and development based on the respect, promotion and protection of human rights.

The Holy See has participated as an Extra-regional Observer since 2012, alongside several other countries.

All affected by the pandemic

鈥淭he health, economic and social crisis caused by Covid-19 has reminded everyone that human beings are like dust. But precious dust in the eyes of God who constituted us as a single human family,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said.

In this light, 鈥渏ust as the natural family teaches loyalty, sincerity, cooperation and respect, encouraging its members to plan an inhabitable world 鈥� so too the family of nations is called to direct its common attention to all,鈥� including the smallest and most vulnerable members, without giving in to the logic of competition and particular interests. 

Challenges of the Central American region

Specifically, 杏MAP导航 Francis noted that during these months of the pandemic, 鈥渢he Central American region has seen the deterioration of social conditions that were already precarious and complex due to an unjust economic system,鈥� which 鈥渆rodes the family, the basic cell of society.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 lamented that people 鈥渨ithout homes, without family, without community, without belonging鈥�, find themselves uprooted and orphaned, at the mercy of 鈥渉ighly conflictive situations that cannot be quickly resolved,鈥� including domestic violence, armed gangs, femicide, drug trafficking, and sexual exploitation, among others. These factors, mixed with the pandemic and the climate crisis, have given human mobility the connotation of a 鈥渇orced mass phenomenon鈥� with its appearance in the form of a regional exodus.

Further worsening the situation, health restrictions that influenced the closures of many borders left many people stranded, in spite of the innate sense of hospitality inherent to the people of the Central American region.

At the same time, people made vulnerable through internal displacement are often left without a way to move forward or backward; and in the various phases of displacement, there is a growing number of cases of human trafficking, which 鈥渋s a wound in the body of contemporary humanity, a wound in the flesh of Christ, and is a crime against humanity.鈥� 

Put the person at the center

Proposing steps to tackle the challenges faced by the region, 杏MAP导航 Francis, while reaffirming the exclusive rights of States to maintain their borders, expressed hope for 鈥渁 common, solid and coordinated regional commitment aimed at placing the person and his or her dignity at the center of every political exercise.鈥�

鈥淭he principle of the centrality of the human person [...] obliges us to always prioritize personal security before national security. The situations of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees require that they be guaranteed personal safety and access to basic services,鈥� he said.

The Holy Father also encouraged the adoption of specific international mechanisms that provide protection for, and recognize the 鈥渙ften invisible drama鈥� of internally displaced persons (IDPs), which is often relegated to the background of national political agendas

Likewise, he called for regional policies for the protection of our common home aimed at alleviating the impact of both climatic phenomena and environmental catastrophes caused by land grabbing, deforestation and water appropriation. These violations, 杏MAP导航 Francis pointed out, undermine 鈥渢he three fundamental areas of integral human development: land, housing and work.鈥�

Tackling human trafficking

Turning his attention to situations of human trafficking, the Holy Father recommended that this scourge be prevented 鈥渢hrough family support and education, and victims must be protected with programs to ensure their safety鈥� through the protection of their privacy, provision of safe accommodation, and adequate social and psychological assistance.

He pointed out that the pandemic has provoked an 鈥渦nprecedented educational crisis鈥� further worsened by restrictions and forced isolations that have exposed inequalities and increased the risk of the most vulnerable falling into the hands of trafficking networks.

In particular, he called for special attention to be given to younger children and women, and stressed the importance of an education that promotes 鈥渢he fundamental equality and respect that honor that women deserve.鈥�

鈥淲omen are the source of life,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 affirmed. 鈥淵et they are continually offended, beaten, raped, forced into prostitution and to the elimination of the life they carry in their wombs. All violence inflicted on women is a desecration of God, born of a woman. As St. John Paul II said, a woman cannot become an 鈥榦bject鈥� of male 鈥榙omination鈥� and 鈥榩ossession鈥�.鈥�

Insisting that the spiritual dimension should not be relegated to a secondary position, the 杏MAP导航 also encouraged working towards inclusive societies where everyone feels truly welcomed, and where all dimensions that make up their identity 鈥� including the religious 鈥� are recognized and accepted

The need for communal effort

In the face of these many pressing challenges, the Holy Father called for joint efforts that go beyond national borders, accompanied by an integrational education process, 鈥渢hat promote the value of loving one's neighbor - the first indispensable exercise for achieving a healthy universal integration.鈥�

He underlined that multilateral cooperation is a valuable tool for promoting the common good, while paying special attention to the causes of forced displacement so that 鈥渂orders are not zones of tension, but open arms of reconciliation.鈥�

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis reiterated the Church鈥檚 commitment to walking with the peoples of Central America and exhorted them to 鈥減ersevere in solidarity with mutual trust and a daring hope.鈥�