The bishops of the Permanent Committee of the Chilean Episcopal Conference sent this Sunday a greeting letter to the president-elect, José Antonio Kast Rist, after the presidential election results were known. In the message, the prelates congratulate the elected leader and emphasize that leading the country requires broad dialogue, social collaboration, and a firm commitment to the common good.
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In the letter, the bishops recall that leading the destinies of a nation involves the responsible participation of its citizens and the reconstruction of deteriorated social ties. In this sense, they point out that Chile is going through a time marked by “accumulated pains” and distrust in institutions, although they also highlight the strength and resilience of the Chilean people to advance toward a more fraternal coexistence.
Call for dialogue and reconstruction of trust
The Episcopate encourages the future president to promote a climate of dialogue, encounter, and respect, as an indispensable basis for rebuilding social trust. The bishops emphasize that this process must be based on the recognition of the inalienable dignity of every person, a principle they consider non-negotiable for democratic life and national cohesion.
In the text, the pastors also express their concern over the growing denigration of migrants and people in situations of vulnerability, reiterating the Church’s commitment to the defense of life and human dignity. In this context, they quote Pope Leo XIV, recalling his words in the apostolic exhortation Dilexi te: “in the wounded face of the poor we find imprinted the suffering of the innocents”.
The Church’s disposition to collaborate for the common good
Toward the end of the letter, the Permanent Committee assures its prayer for the new president and expresses the disposition of the Catholic Church in Chile to collaborate in everything that favors justice, fraternity, and social peace, from its pastoral action and evangelizing mission.
The bishops finally commend the president-elect, his family, and the entire Chilean nation to the protection of the Virgin of Carmen, patroness of the country, asking that she accompany the path of unity and dialogue that, in their opinion, Chile needs at the present moment.
