The Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Philippines on Tuesday, Oct. 20. condemned the violent attacks on churches in Santiago de Chile on Oct. 18.
Jonathan B. Luciano, National Director of the Pontifical Foundation, said nothing will ever justify violence and aggression, as these are “evident tools of hate that eventually lead to nothing but hurt and nothing but waste.”
ACN was referring to San Francisco de Borja Church and the Church of the Assumption, which protesters attacked and desecrated.
According to ACN, Chile has been the site of ceaseless and meaningless church attacks and desecrations also in 2019.
In a statement, Luciano said they are one with ACN International Executive President Dr. Thomas Heine-Gelder in expressing support and closeness to the parish priest of the Church of the Assumption, Pedro Narbona, who for many years also supported the work of the Chilean section of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in favour of the suffering and persecuted Christians.
“We are aghast at his first-hand suffering of a level of violence against the Church that until now we only knew from other parts of the world,” ACN quoted Heine-Gelder.
Luciano encouraged everyone to “unite in prayer and be in solidarity with our family in Chile.”
“Let us also please not promote further hate, and may we be instruments of love, understanding, justice, and forgiveness,” he said.
Luciano stressed that while there may exist differences in beliefs, in principle, or in faith, all these may be peacefully reconciled through “dialogue and communication.”