Colombian bishops object to manipulation of their statements in run-up to presidential election

The Colombian Bishops’ Conference (CEC, by its Spanish acronym) called for respect for the meaning of the messages the bishops issued ahead of the presidential runoff election, rejecting any manipulation of their content.

Colombia’s June 21 election pits right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella against left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda of President Gustavo Petroʼs party.

In a June 10 statement, the CEC warned that “certain posts and comments are circulating on digital platforms presenting partisan interpretations of recent episcopal statements, even going so far as to use them to support specific political positions.”

The bishops called for these “messages to be understood and disseminated within their full context, avoiding uses unrelated to their pastoral purpose.”

“The statements and exhortations issued by the presidency of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference are inspired by the Gospel, the Church’s social doctrine, and the magisterium,” with the aim of “offering criteria for reflection that foster citizen participation in the country’s democratic life, grounded in responsible discernment, freedom, respect, a culture of encounter, reconciliation, and the pursuit of the common good,” the press release noted.

“In no case,” the bishops clarified, “do these statements seek to favor, endorse, or delegitimize any candidacy, nor to express support for specific political projects.”

For these reasons, the CEC reiterated its call for the bishops’ statements to be shared or discussed “while respecting their context, content, and original purpose, and avoiding interpretations that could cause confusion or contribute to the polarization affecting our society.”

Likewise, the CEC called for verifying any information through “the institution’s official channels before replicating or interpreting its statements.”

It noted that, at this decisive moment for Colombia, the CEC “maintains its call to foster a climate of mutual respect, serenity, dialogue, and hope, as well as to reject all forms of violence, stigmatization, or division.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.