| OUR LAWYER’S VIEW ON JUDICIAL CASE OF BROTHER PAUL Mc AULEY. |
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| Monday, 26 July 2010 16:20 |
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The case opened against Brother Paul is a grave attack on the Church in the Amazon region. The Latin American Catholic Church has expressed its commitment to the care of the environment and particularly of the Amazon in its document “Aparecida” – product of the 2007 Latin American Bishops’ Gathering. What they are trying to do with this expulsion order is open up the way to expel other religious who have been working for many years with the natives and rural population who have been abandoned by the State. The work of these religious is that of assisting the reflection over the lives and culture of these abandoned people, helping them understand their rights according to the social teaching of the Church. This mission places them in an opposing position to that of certain governments who see these groups as blocking the development of the country, and that therefore they should not be taken into account. This attitude led to the tragic deaths in Bagua in 2009. For the Peruvian government religious like Brother Paul, and any other foreigner, are a danger, and for that reason should be expelled from the country. It’s for that reason that the legal defense of Paul is important and determines to a large extent the future of the Church in the Amazon and that of other religious who are included in judicial cases. The defense team centres its work on defending Brother Paul as part of the Church and her social teaching, and that the latter is protected within the agreement between the Holy See and the Peruvian State. In consequence the agreement should be respected and any complaint should be directed institutionally and not against the person of Brother Paul. CONSTANTE DIAZ FERNANDEZ Defense Lawyer for Brother Paul. |
