After the large protests in the streets, which led the authorities to declare a state of emergency and a curfew in different parts of the country, President Piñera withdrew the measure introduced a week ago, but this did not help end the massive events throughout Chile.
In this context, the Salesian Provincial in Chile, Fr Carlo Lira, wrote a letter to the Salesian Family:
“Dear Salesian Family,
The moment we are living in our society shows us a live, awakened social conscience, a reality that permits us to adequately discern and respond promptly to the will of God.
The aspirations of the majority that protest peacefully in the streets for a more just and supportive country, where the person is at the center of every policy, are part of the construction of the Kingdom, and therefore we are all committed as disciples of Jesus.
However, I urge you not to fall into the treatment that rightly led to indignation: the indifference to the proposals of the paths that may emerge, the denigration of the other, the annulment of the other as a person. Violence is never a solution. Christ gave Himself for all of us.
I want us to help our Country dream of a better society, a country of brothers, more human. It is time to move forward, respecting and listening to each other with our hearts.
Don Bosco teaches us that love is the force that renews and develops us. We must do our best to contribute in each of the environments in which we live, to recover harmonious coexistence, knowing that the final objective is not immediate, but possible.
May Mary Help of Christians, the Virgin of difficult times, accompany us.”
After seven days of demonstrations, which mobilized millions of people in the main cities of Chile, demonstrating an irrevocable decision to bring about social change, the word 'dialogue' has taken hold in the social debate in Chile, and is seen as the only way to connect the various social actors and reach a national agreement.
