Bishop ducks negotiations A LEADING MEXICAN bishop has rejected a potential role as mediator between the Mexican government and the Zapatista guerrillas, saying it is beyond his capabilities.
Bishop Felipe Arizmendi of San Cristobal de las Casas and successor of Bishop Samuel Ruiz, former president of the National Mediation Commission, said last week: "I don't think I have sufficient capacity for a service of this nature — in the first place, because I have a lot to do in the communities."
The conflict in the southern state of Chiapas broke out in 1994 when EZLN militants protested against the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Vatican backs revolution
THE APOSTOLIC Nuncio to Manila, has given the Vatican's support to the new Filipino President, Gloria Arroyo.
President Arroyo succeeded President Joseph Estrada, who was recently forced to resign following a corruption scandal.
During a meeting with the new president, Archbishop Antonio Franco, expressed his congratulations on behalf of Manila's entire diplomatic corps.
He said: "We followed with interest and concern the recent events. We are once again touched and .proud of the Filipino people for their exemplary non-violent approach to reorganise their political system and leadership."
Priests take on communists
Two CAI HOLIC priests and two Buddhist leaders from Vietnam have appealed to their government to recognise human and religious rights as stipulated in UN charters.
In a joint statement this week, the religious leaders said: "After the conquest of southern Vietnam in 1975, the Communist Party imposed inhuman restrictions on religions."
The four denounced the suppression of religion in general, the nationalisation of religious properties, the arbitrary detention of community leaders and the presence of Party infiltrators in religious groups. Fr Van Ly, one of the signatories, is still under house arrest, after years of imprisonment and various court trials.