wfn.org | WCC general secretary applauds churches' role in

["Sheila Mesa" <smm@wcc-coe.org>]

Argentina crisis 

World Council of Churches
Press Release, PR-02-01
For Immediate Use
11 January 2002

WCC general secretary applauds churches' role in Argentina
crisis 

As Argentina struggles with a serious economic, political and
social crisis, the general secretary of the World Council of
Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, has praised Argentina's
churches, ecumenical organizations and civil society.  In a 10
January 2002 letter to the country's churches, Raiser said he had
been deeply moved by the way they had responded to what, for him,
was also to some extent an "ethical and spiritual" crisis.  

Raiser urged "Christians, churches, people of other faiths and
all men and women committed to peace to join forces to overcome
this crisis and build a society of greater justice and solidarity
in Argentina, strengthening ties with other countries in the
region".  He also reminded politicians of their responsibility in
this respect, stressing that it is essential to "put an end to
corruption, impunity and abuse of power and to take immediate
steps that will lead to genuine national reconciliation based on
justice".  

Mass protests about the disastrous state of Argentina's economy
started in December.  The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
refused payment of a loan tranche worth billions of dollars
because the country had considerably overstepped the agreed
borrowing level.  With debts of $132 billion, Argentina is now on
the brink of  bankruptcy; it has been in deep recession for the
past three and a half years.  Official figures put unemployment
at 18.3% in October.  The government of former President de la
Rua, who resigned, introduced drastic cuts in public spending and
strict economy measures in an attempt to meet the IMF loan
conditions.  

The full text of the WCC general secretary's letter follows:

"Grace to you and peace" (1 Thess.1:1) - the apostle Paul's
words of greeting to the churches seem specially significant at
this time.  

Many reports in recent weeks have drawn attention to the
distressing situation afflicting your country, Argentina.  Time
and again the mass media have shown pictures of violent clashes
between the population and the police, looting of shops,
demonstrations outside Congress and the Casa Rosada.  We deeply 
deplore the deaths of dozens of men and women, many of them
young, and the thousands of arrests that have been made.  At the
same time, we have also heard about the work being done by the
churches and Christians of Argentina and their prayers for the
situation.  

Together with churches and the world-wide ecumenical movement we
have shared in your suffering and we have been with you as you
try to hear the cry of the people and discern the presence of the
Spirit in the midst of this crisis.  It is a situation marked by
great confusion, anger and violence but also by signs of
solidarity and genuine concern for the future on the part of the
Argentinian people.  From the very beginning we have been praying
that the democratic institutions of your beloved country may be
restored and strengthened.  We give thanks to God for the witness
borne by Christians and churches in Argentina at this difficult
time and we ask God to strengthen them in faith, hope and love. 

As many analysts, and indeed churches and ecumenical
organizations themselves, have pointed out, the scale of the
crisis in Argentina is alarming.  Perhaps the most striking thing
has been the resignation of two presidents within the space of a
few days.  But most worrying of all is the state of poverty and
insecurity in which millions of people in Argentina find
themselves living today, largely as a result of the economic
policy of recent years.  It is not for us to analyse the causes
of this crisis, which you know only too well.  Let us simply say
that the situation challenges us to continue our ethical and
spiritual reflection on the role and behaviour of political
leaders, international financial institutions and the different
sectors of society.  It also gives us cause to reflect further on
our own commitment to action for life, justice and solidarity.  

We are moved by the cry of the Argentinian people and the way in
which the churches, ecumenical organizations and other members of
civil society are responding to this crisis, which is to some
extent also ethical and spiritual.  In the context of the Decade
to Overcome Violence, launched at the beginning of 2001, we urge
Christians, churches, people of other faiths and all men and
women committed to peace to join forces to overcome this crisis
and build a society of greater justice and solidarity in
Argentina, strengthening ties with other countries in the region.
 As churches and other social groups have said, politicians must
be called upon to act responsibly, to put an end to corruption,
impunity and abuse of power and to take immediate steps that will
lead to genuine national reconciliation based on justice.  In the
present situation this can only be done by strengthening
democracy and ensuring respect and protection of human rights, as
a mark of our concern for the life which God the Creator has
entrusted to our care.  

In the WCC's Christmas message for 2001, I recently wrote that
our world will only be saved by grace and mercy.  "God gives and
forgives generously and offers life in fullness ( John 10:10)
especially to those who are losers in our merciless world".  The
logic of mercy is foreign to the logic of power, violence, market
forces which often governs our world.  Yet, from the Christian
point of view, participating in God's mercy is the condition sine
qua non for obtaining justification.  

With Christians all over the world I pray that you may be
comforted in the faith and recall the words of the Psalmist, who
was acquainted with grief, suffering and violence: "Out of the
depths I cry to you, oh Lord.  Lord, hear my voice!  ... my soul
waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning...
for with the Lord there is steadfast love" (Psalm 130).  

For further information, please contact Media Relations Office,
Tel.:  (+41.22) 791.61.53

**********
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches,
now 342, in more than 100 countries in all continents from
virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is
not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The
highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately
every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general
secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

World Council of Churches
Media Relations Office
Tel: (41 22) 791 6153 / 791 6421
Fax: (41 22) 798 1346
E-mail: ka@wcc-coe.org 
Web: www.wcc-coe.org 

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