The Vicariate of Solidarity ("Vicaría de la Solidaridad") was created in Chile 40 years ago by Cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez, the Archbishop of Santiago, during the military dictatorship. Its first executive Secretary, Javier Luis Egaña, a lawyer, remembers the difficult job entrusted to him by the Chilean Catholic Church in defence of human rights.
Egaña was just 32 when Cardinal Silva Henríquez and Fr Cristián Precht asked him, at the end of 1975, to take the post of Secretary of the Vicariate of Solidarity, whose principle role was to defend human life against human rights abuses. He worked in this job until 1981. His testimony sent to Fides by the Archdiocese of Santiago on the fortieth anniversary of the creation of the Vicariate also reports on its importance today.
"It all started under the inspiration of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Our goal was to provide assistance to those in need, regardless of sex or religion or political affiliation. At the beginning we were a few and gradually we became almost 300 people and were financed by support from abroad, especially from the World Council of Churches", says Egaña. "There were dramatic moments. There was a situation of pressure and harassment against those who worked in the Vicariate and in 1985 Jose Manuel Parada was killed, an extraordinary man".
”It was a tragic period for the nation,” remembers the lawyer. "Many people were killed, many disappeared, one million Chileans were expelled, including some of my brothers. We also helped many people to flee abroad. Sometimes we thought that we were doing very little in comparison to the requests. We did not have the time to do everything we wanted to do".
"Since the return to democracy in 1990, much has been done. There is a lot of research work being carried out and teaching on this topic. University students elaborate their thesis on this topic. There are schools that come to see us to understand what happened in Chile with regards to the violation of human rights during the dictatorship. There is a permanent activity to keep alive a heritage that was built through the efforts of many people", concluded the lawyer.
The "Vicaría de la Solidaridad" now has more than 85,000 documents on human rights violations in the country, from 1973 to 1990: court papers, legal documents, appeals and descriptions of torture.
Agenzia Fides - Information Service of the Pontifical Mission Society - January 21, 2016
Mission Intention for May
That families, communities, and groups may pray the Holy Rosary for evangelization and peace.
Read more from The Far East, May 2016