19 years after Jesuit murders, current archbishop opposes Spanish probe

Today is the 19th anniversary of the assassination of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter by Salvadoran armed forces. In his weekly press conference today, the archbishop of San Salvador, Fernando Saenz Lacalle,
opposed the efforts of human rights groups to prosecute military officers and former president Cristiani for the crime:
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The Roman Catholic archbishop of San Salvador opposes reopening the prosecution of Salvadoran officials in the 1989 massacre of six Jesuit priests, the cleric said Sunday.

Human rights activists have pushed for a trial of a former president and 14 other Salvadoran officials in Spain, where five of the killed Jesuits were born.

Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle called the killings at the height of the country's 1980-92 civil war "a frightful crime," but said he was sure that former President Alfredo Cristiani was not involved.

"Opening this case in another country's courts won't help the process of domestic reconciliation," he said. "El Salvador's affairs should be resolved in El Salvador."

The Jesuit order in El Salvador also decided not to participate in the Spanish case, Jesuit university rector Father Jose Maria Tojeira said.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Remember, this is the same guy who told Katya's mother (via La Prensa Grafica) to "forgive the killers" because the rape and murder of the 9-year-old girl was "a moral problem, not a legal problem."
Anonymous said…
For those interested in obtaining the DVD documentary on the Jesuits Priests assassination, "Crimes of War".It can be ordered on line at etvStore.org.
Guevara said…
Only through history we will be able to judge the lack of judgement of mr. Saenz, he would be judge like Hitler Pope- The man that lack moral courage in order to stand up for what is right. Saenz knows pretty well that the court system in El Salvador is not worth a cent, and that " El Salvador's affairs should be resolved in El Salvador." is a total joke. We well know that the corrupt judicial system could be influence, like it was influence by Antonio Safie when he took the $30 Mil. And under those circustances mr. Saenz wants us to believe that by " Opening this case in another country's court won't help the process of domestic reconciliation."

El Salvador's judicial court system will not open this case not for another hundred years...Does mr. Saenz wants us to wait for justice for that long?

El Salvador needs to bring these Banana Republic thugs into justice, and by doing that it will
heal it's people. Only then, and only then, "the truth will set you free, and you will be free indeed."
Anonymous said…
Iglesia Católica respeta, pero no comparte demanda contra Cristiani

Daniel Trujillo
Redacción Diario Co Latino

La Iglesia Católica respeta la demanda interpuesta en España contra el ex Presidente de la República, Alfredo Cristiani y 14 militares, por el asesinato de los padres jesuitas durante el conflicto armado, pero no la comparte, ya que eso “no ayudará en el proceso de reconciliación interna” de El Salvador.

El Arzobispo de San Salvador, Monseñor Fernando Sáenz Lacalle, manifestó que se debe de buscar aquí la “sanación de viejas heridas”, tal y como lo dijo en su oportunidad el rector de la Universidad Centroamericana (UCA), padre José María Tojeira.

“La familia del padre Martín Baró tiene derecho a entablar cualquier proceso, entonces, no se puede evitar; son problemas de cada persona, pero, de todas maneras, creo que las cosas de El Salvador, deben de resolverse en El Salvador”, acotó el prelado católico, en referencia a que la demanda contra el ex mandatario y los 14 militares fue interpuesta por la hermana del sacerdote jesuita Ignacio Martín Baró, uno de los asesinados la madrugada del 16 de noviembre de 1989.

El Arzobispo Sáenz Lacalle dice que para buscar en el país la “sanación de viejas heridas” se deben hacer las investigaciones convenientes, teniendo en cuenta la legislación del caso, así como estudiar cuidadosamente las cláusulas de la Ley de Amnistía.

Según el jerarca de la Iglesia Católica, desde hace un año tanto la UCA como Tutela Legal del Arzobispado llevan un estudio del caso.

Para la Iglesia es importante la reconciliación, por lo que recordó que el ex Presidente Cristiani firmó los Acuerdos de Paz, ordenó la investigación internacional del asesinato de los sacerdotes jesuitas.

“Hay que recordar que el expresidente Cristiani fue clave en la resolución del conflicto armado en nuestro país”, sostuvo el Arzobispo de San Salvador.

Monseñor Sáenz Lacalle espera que en el país no se registre ningún tipo de conflictividad, de llegar a concretizarse la extradición de Cristiani a España.