NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      GUATAMALA CITY, 1 (NE) With the participation of 15 countries the XII Catholic International Fair is being held these days in Guatemala. This year's event began February 27th and will continue until the 7th of March. An attendance of over 300.000 people is expected to the fair being organized by the Ministry of Catholic Events. Delegations from the United States, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Chile among other countries are attending the event.

      This year's fair counts with different pavilions and exhibitions on religious art, Marian devotion, apostolate, as well as religious bazaars. Also, a room «of social work» has been mounted, offering health aid and food and clothes for free to assist the needed.

      CWN reports that the Guatemala's bishops' conference said in a pastoral letter last weekend that the recently released report on human rights violations during the civil war in Guatemala "should be taken as a occasion for creating conditions for peace and justice in the country.

      In the letter, entitled "Repent and Believe in the Gospel," the bishops said that "the grief of the victims, the violations against human dignity, and the loss of moral conscience in the murderers urge us to find the necessary ways to strengthen human rights, promote a culture of mutual respect, and favor peace and national reconciliation in Guatemala." They added, "This commitment for those who claim to be disciples of Jesus, springs from the faith and hope placed in the power of Christ's resurrection."

      The report on human rights violations, released by an international "Truth Commission" after almost two years of investigations, claimed that 80% of the violations were committed by the Guatemalan Army, while the rest were committed by the Marxist rebels. The report also claims that the CIA and the Cuban government were both involved in the Guatemalan civil war.

      The bishops' letter also encouraged Guatemalans to participate in the upcoming elections which will vote for the confirmation of the peace accords signed between the government and the Marxist rebels which put an end to the 30-year-long civil war.