wfn.org | Chilean Bishop Speaks on Human Rights Violations after 1973 Coup

["Frank Imhoff" <franki@elca.org>]

Families Affected by Split in Lutheran Church 

GENEVA, 10 February 2002 (LWI) - Twenty five years ago pastor Kurt Gysel
and
his bride left Switzerland and accepted a three-year pastoral position in
the
newly founded Lutheran Church in Chile - Iglesia Luterana en Chile (ILCH).
Today the 49-year-old serves as ILCH bishop. He and his wife have five
children, two daughters and three sons aged eleven to 24, all born in
Chile.
They can hardly imagine returning to Europe, as they are all so well
integrated into Chilean society, he told Lutheran World Information (LWI)
during a mid-January visit.

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) supported an ILCH vocational training
project in the late 1980s and regularly provides theological scholarships.
There are currently two theology students on LWF scholarships.

Gysel explained the division of the Chilean church, which goes back to
differing opinions of the 11 September 1973 military coup in the country. A
smaller part of the church declared its solidarity with victims of torture,
murder and abduction under General Augusto Pinochet, but the majority
supported the military intervention. At the end of 1974 ten congregations
left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile - Iglesia EvangTlica Luterana
en Chile (IELCH), and in 1975 eight congregations founded the ILCH. Two
congregations remained independent but later joined the ILCH, which has
about
12,000 members. The IELCH has some 3,000 members.

Opinions in Chile still differ regarding the 1973 coup. Many people are
convinced that the September 11 military intervention was a good thing, but
there are hardly any supporters of the regime's human rights violations.
During discussions about the present treatment of Pinochet, which
"infuriates" many people, a clear distinction is made between the coup and
human rights violations, and the latter are considered to be inexcusable
and
wrong, Gysel told LWI.

There are still reservations and fears regarding a socialist government,
stressed Gysel. Many ILCH members were dispossessed of their property
"quite
unjustly" and illegally. Agricultural properties had been occupied at the
time and the residents evicted. This is often forgotten when such matters
are
discussed, according to the Lutheran bishop.

Many regret the break-up of the Lutheran church in Chile today. The split
goes through friendships and even families. For years, however, the two
churches have had more intensive, "friendly" contacts. Since the early
1980s
they have discussed daily problems and joint projects under the umbrella of
the Council of Lutheran Churches in Chile. On 31 October 2001 both churches
celebrated a joint Reformation service. But there is little chance of a
merger in the imminent future, they have become too different as they
pursued
different paths in the last 25 years.

By contrast with the far smaller IELCH the ILCH is largely self-supporting,
whereas the former depends on assistance from abroad. ILCH members mainly
belong to the middle and upper income classes. The "federalist" structure
of
his church has led to a small, modest church structure, according to Gysel,
and the congregations are thus completely independent in many work areas.

Just under 80 percent of Chile's 15.3 million people are Roman Catholic.
With the declining participation of Roman Catholic Christians in the parish
life, Gysel sees a large field for work. Already the ILCH tries to offer
Spanish and German services in all congregations and is opening up to the
Spanish-speaking population. Spanish services are particularly popular with
young people.

In view of a somewhat falling trend in baptisms and confirmations Gysel
attaches special importance to youth work. Many young people are well
educated and skilled, which is of benefit to church work. The bishop is
proud
of the commitment by many young people in his church. They have initiated
voluntary projects to support the needy through housing projects and
organizing courses with midwives or electricians under a ten-day period of
"really hard work" normally attended by 30-40 young people.

Gysel hopes for a growing awareness of what the church actually means-a
personal commitment in faith. He expects that ILCH members do not just
belong
to the church out of tradition but that people would "discover who Jesus
Christ really is, what he has done for them and what he means for them and
for this world."

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 133 member
churches in 73 countries representing over 60.5 million of the 64.3 million
Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas
of common interest such as ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission
and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the
Lutheran
World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material presented does
not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units.
Where
the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be
freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

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