Sharing Sorrow and Hope: The Second Ecumenical Conference for Peace and Reconciliation

The high incidence of violence in different areas of Chiapas—particularly in the northern region—often has been attributed to religious intolerance among the different Christian denominations in the state. While the root causes of the conflict are political and not religious, religious differences have resulted in the different groups accusing each other of responsibility for the violence and its regrettable consequences. This idea has been so widely repeated that many have come to believe it. Calling for an ecumenical meeting under these conditions represents taking up a major challenge in attempting to begin to reverse the dynamic of war and polarization that has characterized the region.

The Second Ecumenical Conference for Peace and Reconciliation was convened as a means of shedding light on the conflicts and achieving rapprochement among the different denominations. The meeting took place September 3 to 5 at the Catholic Diocesan Center in San Cristobal de las Casas. The previous conference was held at the Presbyterian Seminary of the Highlands in April.

In the Beginning…Uncertainty

It was with great expectations and much to share that pastors and priests, nuns and lay people arrived at the conference to seek peaceful solutions to the conflicts in the areas from which they had come. The conference brought together about 75 participants in all, including guests and observers from other countries. They arrived slowly, one by one, anxious about the possibility that they might encounter someone with whom they had a pending grievance.

As the participants gathered, they greeted each other with reserve, or not at all. Groups of acquaintances or people from the same denomination could be seen talking in the halls. Each one looked for his or her own. There were tense moments in which it seemed there was no opening for dialogue. By their attitude, it appeared that those from opposing groups blamed each other for particular acts of violence in their communities that had so shaken their lives.

When the meeting began the presentations were stiff and formal and did not include any personal information. In fact, there were no personal introductions but rather groups were presented by region and denomination. During the official opening procedures nobody seemed ready to smile, much less applaud. After the introduction of the participants, an ecumenical prayer was led by the Baptist Church in preparation for the days to come. It was during this time of prayer and reflection and afterward, during the meal, that the ice slowly began to melt. Another element that helped break down the barriers was that the work of serving the meals, doing the clean-up, and helping with the coffee break time was organized in mixed groups. This facilitated communication and coming together through the experience of serving others.

Speaking Our Hearts…The Nature of the Conflict and Its Victims

In the morning and afternoon of the second day, representatives from the different churches began to share their perceptions of the political, social and religious conflicts in their communities. They were words waiting to be said that had been in everyone’s heart, unspoken until now. Very detailed descriptions, in the indigenous style, at times they seemed to be all the same story. We saw the pain and suffering that the increasing use of violence as a way to solve differences has caused thousands of people.

Families and communities have suffered acts of violence including murder, rape, imprisonment, theft, threats and insults. They have lost their homes and had their churches closed and holy images burned. There is no religious group that has been exempt from some kind of violent aggression. To a greater or lesser extent, everyone has personally suffered from the consequences of violence, and all say it is because of the war.

While it is true that the conflicts existed in the indigenous communities of Chiapas before the armed Zapatista uprising in January of 1994, it is also true that beginning in 1995, they have grown in breadth and severity. In the northern region of Chiapas during the last two years, approximately 4000 people have been displaced from their homes, nearly 300 murdered and around 100 arrested. At this moment only about half of those displaced have been able to return to their communities. Less than half of those arrested have been released.

“We affirm that the roots of the violence, including in the northern region, are not religious in nature but are caused by social injustice and political and ideological interests. We are committed to working together without hatred or violence toward the eradication of these causes.”
Final Statement of Conference Spokesperson

Asking Forgiveness…A Necessary Step

It became clear during the conference that in order to continue working together on peace and reconciliation, it would be necessary to ask forgiveness for the offenses committed against one another. Acknowledging that everyone had contributed in one form or another to the division and polarization within their communities and that as different religious groups they had accused each other was perhaps one of the most difficult things to accept.

Although at the beginning of the conference the tone was harsh and accusatory, particularly because the accounts were so detailed as to persons and places (it is likely that some of those present had been involved in some of the attacks that were described), the tone changed as the conference proceeded. The creation of a more conciliatory spiritual atmosphere was also aided by meeting in heterogeneous groups to reflect on biblical texts, including Gen 1:26: we are all created in the image and likeness of God and James 3:13-18: justice can only be obtained if those who work for peace themselves sow the seeds of peace. The gathering was only the beginning of a long road. It was necessary to recognize that many of the attitudes demonstrated, by some more than others perhaps, were not helping in the resolution of conflict and that everyone needed to make an effort to be more consistent with the faith they professed and shared in common.

“We become stronger through our will to repair our errors and to build internal paths of reconciliation in dealing with situations that tear apart the fabric of community and peace. We recognize that we have hurt each other and we need to reconcile ourselves and to heal historic wounds.”
Conference Final Statement

A Way Forward…Dialogue

There is no doubt that the simple fact of having had the opportunity to express one’s suffering at the loss of family and loved ones, homes and land was in and of itself comforting. Perhaps this style of listening is a way of beginning a deeper process of reconciliation in which it is first necessary to express the sorrow that has accumulated for so long. Recounting the damage done need not be a way to place judgement but rather to bring out in the open, to release from silence, those events that have confronted and divided hundreds of families and communities that are part of the same people.

“This has been a fraternal encounter of brotherhood, of prayer, of dialogue, and of seeking to build ecumenism in Chiapas.”
Conference Final Statement

The participants revealed that not everything has been painful or negative. We were able to see rays of hope that reflect the respect and tolerance with which brothers and sisters from different churches can treat each other. Such is the case of one northern region community where Catholics and Adventists agreed to give shelter and protection to displaced peoples from neighboring communities regardless of their denomination. These experiences, added to the desire shown by everyone to oppose the war and work for peace, encourage everyone to continue their efforts. Baptist Pastor Natanael Navarro, Coordinator of CICEM in Chiapas, expressed it this way, “These gatherings will help us to reduce the incidence of harassment and crimes in the conflict areas, and to eliminate racism. In addition, the politicians will have to look for other means to pursue their partisan interests.”

With the peace process stalled and the social fabric in Chiapas deteriorating, this kind of gathering may be seen as an example of peaceful alternatives to the conflicts in Chiapas as well as a help in creating a conducive atmosphere for renewing the talks between the EZLN and the federal government. As Father Gustavo Andrade observed, “With these encounters it is possible to counteract the effects of the dirty war and to strengthen the transition to democracy by becoming more involved in the accompaniment of a people that is making its own history.”

In this regard, it was important to broach the subject of the relationship between the churches and the political parties. There has been a tendency to fall into generalizations that create obstacles to tolerance and reconciliation in the communities. Catholics are often associated with the PRD or the EZLN and the evangelicals with the PRI and the government. According to Samuel Ruiz, Catholic Bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas, “The word of God is like a lamp that lights the reality in which we live. The light doesn’t tell us what we ought to do but rather shows us what is around us so that we may more clearly decide. For this reason political decisions are not based upon being Catholic or not. There are Catholics in all the parties, not just one. These are decisions that people make to the best of their ability and according to their own conscience.”

In this same vein, Baptist Pastor Lazaro Gonzalez added, “The members of the different churches of CICEM also belong to the three largest political parties and that is something that we respect. We only say that they should not allow themselves to be fooled or manipulated…and to think clearly about what is being done.”

What Remains to Be Done…Commitments

The different linguistic groups had the opportunity to come together as brothers, without regard to their religious denomination, and to work on ways to move forward from this ecumenical foundation in the reduction of violence and construction of peace.

Later the different churches met by denomination to reach an accord on how to continue this effort. Everyone agreed that it was important to plan more such gatherings.

“We need to work to overcome the attitudes and language that cultivate intolerance and damage our capacity to peacefully coexist. We need to ground ourselves more deeply in a process of evangelization based more in the richness of the word of God than in the rejection or criticism of other believers.”
Conference Final Statement

Everyone agreed to work on a future conference in the beginning of 1998. Participants also committed themselves to modify methods of evangelization that may cause harm to members of other denominations.

Presbyterian Pastor Gaspar Hernandez expressed the commitment this way:

“We hope that in the future we may be able to proceed together, respecting each other as Christians, and through the cross, to reconcile ourselves with God and with others in one body, casting aside enmities.”

At the end of the conference, the goodbyes were quite distinct from the greetings at the beginning. A portion of the road had been traveled, although much more remained ahead. This initiative requires the participation of other actors that have played a crucial role in the development of the conflicts. Of particular importance are the various authorities who, by action or omission, have contributed to the polarization of the life of the communities in the service of hidden interests.

“We denounce the major responsibility of the authorities in creating vacuums that exacerbate the violence, lead to impunity, favor certain interests, abuse power, and fail to fulfill their fundamental mission of maintaining the rule of law. We ask the authorities to fulfill their responsibility.”
Conference Final Statement

Noting that peace is more than the absence of violence, a catechist from Sabanilla spoke for many when he said, “We speak of peace, but many people don’t have food or clothes or land. That is not living in peace.”

“We maintain that the will exists to seek peace based on the recognition of the value of each person, whoever he or she may be, and an option as Christians to embrace everyone that we find in need, whatever their faith or political affiliation or beliefs.”
Conference Final Statement

In closing, the testimony of the Guatemalan visitors from the National Presbyterian Church and the Latin American Council of Churches was particularly poignant. At the end of many years of war and suffering, they came to understand the overriding importance of being united in order to resolve the problems common to everyone, regardless of their differences. They warned,

“The northern region of Chiapas seems like Guatemala during the 70s. That is to say, it seems like a platform or an arena in which the lions and the gladiators are about to appear; a dirty war waged by the government and the army aimed at confronting the communities and at provoking mutual killing and destruction among them. Always remember to preach Christ and not to attack others. There is still time to prevent such an outcome. Be united.”

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The Participants at the Second Ecumenical Conference

Participants included evangelical pastors and representatives and Catholic bishops, priests, sisters and laity.

Churches and other religious groups represented were:

• Seventh Day Adventist,
• Baptist,
• Catholic,
• National Presbyterian,
• Reformed Presbyterian,
• Church of God,
• Church of the Complete Gospel,
• and others.

Participants came from 15 municipalities, mainly from the northern region and the highlands of Chiapas.

The linguistic groups represented were: Chol, Tsotsil, Tseltal, and Spanish.

The presence and support of various local and international peace and religious organizations encouraged the process of dialogue at the conference by adding their experience in conflict resolution at opportune moments as a guide for the people of Chiapas meeting there.

Among the groups present were:

• International Service for Peace (SIPAZ),
• Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI),
• the Baptist Seminary (Mexico City),
• the National Presbyterian Church of Guatemala,
• the Presbyterian Church of Switzerland,
• the Mexican Center for Religious Studies (CEREM),
• the Ecumenical Bible School of San Cristobal de las Casas,
• the Ecumenical Commission of the Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas,
• the Communication Commission of the Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas,
• the United Church of Christ,
• the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America

Those organizing the conference themselves represented in their diversity a concrete effort toward rapprochement and collaboration.

They were:

• Pastor Abdias Tovilla, legal advisor to CEDECH (Chiapas Committee for Defense of Evangelicals);
• Pastor Esdras Alonso, President of the Ministerial Alliance of the Chiapas Highlands;
• Father Felipe Toussaint, Vicar General of the Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas;
• Pastor Natanael Navarro, Chiapas Coordinator of CICEM (Indigenous/Peasant Evangelical Council of Mexico)