Cardinal Barreto: “The problem is not only President Castillo, it is also the Legislative and Civil Society”

The Cardinal and Archbishop of Huancayo Pedro Barreto referred to the political crisis facing Peru and assured that changing ministerial cabinet in the government of President Pedro Castillo will achieve nothing but with a radical change of direction in the powers of the State, such as the Executive and the Legislative.

“It's not about patching, it's about renewing the political structure of the country,” said the archbishop of Huancayo in an interview with La República and stressed on several occasions that changing ministers is not the solution.

“And the problem is not only President Castillo, it is also the Legislative and also civil society, we all have to be united in a single objective. Here we are looking for a resurrection of the country, we cannot be in more or less, it is now or never. Take that qualitative leap to a transformation of politics so that honest people can serve the people who elect them,” he added.

Barreto hopes that no longer will be waited for the country's course to change in the “powers of the State, political parties, institutions and various religions in Peru”.

The cardinal also responded to reactions to his statements about President Castillo and to a meeting with the head of state in the last week to mention that the president was going to make radical changes to his government.

“Anything that the Church says or does in this sense will have positive and negative reactions. The Church respects the autonomy of politics, but we cannot say that the Church must reduce its mission to the private. The Church does a lot in the evangelizing, social, education, etc. Pope Benedict XVI clearly says that the Church cannot and should not be left out of building a better world or awaken the ethical and spiritual forces of the gospel. In that sense, I'm not surprised. But I look more at the positive. My visit was due to an invitation made to me by President Castillo, therefore, it is not an interference by the Church,” he said.

CERRON

Vladimir Cerrón, general secretary of Peru Libre - the ruling party - accused Barreto of being behind a “church coup” and compared these kinds of questions as the insults that Jesus received.

“At Holy Week we must remember that there were irreconcilable enemies against Jesus, which even led to his condemnation to death on the cross. Why did they condemn him if he went through the world doing good? Because there were political authorities who had interests, religious authorities and a people who allowed themselves to be manipulated (...) That is, Christ's passion continues for subordinate interests,” he said.

Although he takes these reactions with respect, he does not accept them, especially because it is a “virulent action against the church”.

MEETING WITH CASTLE

Barreto argued that he does not seek to save Pedro Castillo's presidency in the midst of his government's crisis and that the invitation made to him by the Peruvian president was in his personal capacity, not as a representative of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.

However, he considered that the church has a public role “that is not exhausted in the activities of assistance and education, but seeks the promotion of the integral dignity of the human person” and in that sense seeks “fraternity in Peru”.

“We cannot be as we are now, faced, Peru is in intensive care. Last Sunday Pope Francis called on everyone to a peaceful solution as soon as possible. And as a result of this invocation, I responded immediately. We must seek a peaceful solution. And that involves seeking the common good. Even with the risk of being criticized, of being misunderstood,” he said.

The cardinal explained that he believes Pedro Castillo will make substantial changes in the government, and although it is difficult to believe him, this “is the only chance he has to get ahead.”

“We are not afraid of criticism, of crucifixions, as Jesus teaches us these days. Jesus' resurrection gives us the assurance that Peru can be resurrected. Peru has hope. And he urgently needs this injection of hope, which is possible because for God everything is possible. We must unite in what can bring us back to a transformation of society,” he concluded.

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