“This #Christmas2019, in the Spirit of Christ, we are all invited to make of #ChileUnaMesaParaTodos the motto of the Christmas spot launched by the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile this year, in the framework of the social explosion in the country in favour of equality.
Taking part in the Campaign are Bishops, lay people, workers, parents, Indians, young people, etc. The video shows them all entering a church united and gathering around the altar, in communion with one another. “In our yearnings for peace and justice may no one remain discarded on the feast of Jesus’ Birth,” wishes the Church of Chile.
In this connection, they recall that Pope Francis invites us this Christmas to be bearers “of the Good News, witnessing with concrete actions of mercy the joy of having found Jesus and His love.”
On October 25, a few days after the start of the street protests, the Archbishopric of Santiago launched “#LaVozDeLaIglesia,” [“#TheVoiceOfTheChurch”], an initiative that enabled people of the Church, as well as those estranged from her, to express themselves in face of the situation the nation was experiencing.
Data of the Crisis
According to the Chilean newspaper “La Tercera,” during this period there was a total of 2,537 serious violent events, 1,362 civilians injured, 3,042 police and members of the Armed Forces wounded, and 25 Subway stations set on fire.
Moreover, there were four international reports written on the situation of human rights in the country, a change of Cabinet, a protest march of 1.2 million people in Santiago, eight days of curfew in the capital, a former State Minister accused Constitutionally and a political Agreement for Chileans to decide if they want to change the Constitution.
Christmas in the Street
The Archbishopric has started several initiatives. One of them is being organized by the Vicariate for Education: over 200 people will live Christmas on the night of December 24 in the Street, an activity that year after year invites to celebrate Jesus’ birth, meeting with brothers and sisters in hostelries and children’s and elderly’s homes and soup kitchens.
It is about young people, but also adults and families that have had the courage to look for a new way of celebrating Christmas with a fraternal sense. Organized in groups, this year the participants will visit a total of ten places reaching some 700 people.
