MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Catholic Church reiterates “concern” with insecurity increase

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, considered an “enemy” by the Kirchner couple

The Catholic Church again expressed “concern” about the increase in crime and insecurity during the opening of the 156th Episcopate Permanent Committee Summit presided by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio.

“Insecurity generates a feeling of helplessness which concerns all of us”, said Episcopate spokesman Jorge Oesterheld, who added that “maybe there's no need to create new laws,” because the most important thing is to establish “a greater conscience to obey the laws” that already exist.

“Apparently, as bishops have said before, we need more conscience to obey the law. It's an area we have to develop. We are lacking responsibility in obeying the law,” Oesterheld said to a local television channel.

The Episcopate summit is meeting until Thursday and its agenda includes issues related to abortion and the recent sanctioning of a bill which allows same sex weddings. But the Church is also committed to address a wave of criminal incidents in recent weeks which peaked with the shooting of a pregnant woman as she was leaving a bank and who lost her baby.

This new type of crime, allegedly involving bank personnel who inform about customers withdrawing important sums of cash who are then robbed in the street when they get into their cars or at their homes has become quite common.

The Episcopate spokesman admitted that people are just as concerned about “insecurity” as bishops are.

Regarding the under-age, which have also become characters of the crime scenes, Oesterheld affirmed that “they live in a violent climate and that they learn to be violent”.

He also said that it is necessary not “to get to the point of criminalizing their attitude, even though they are capable of killing”.

“We have to find a way to help them so they do no commit another crime, and not criminalize their behaviour, because he is a minor and society is the one that has to be in charge of them,” he continued.

This is the second time in less than a fortnight that Cardinal Bergoglio talks about insecurity and violence in the streets of Argentina. The last time was on August 7, the day of Saint Cayetano when a huge number of followers turned out to the streets for the procession.

Meantime Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández acknowledged that “society is concerned about the rise of insecurity,” although he stated that the Government is “working hard to stop crime.”

“The Executive does not remain indifferent with regards to the criminal acts that have dominated the media in the last few days,” he said and explained that “there are no differences between the Federal Police and the Buenos Aires province police.

”I acknowledge that society is concerned about all this, but we're working hard to solve crime. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to tell you all about it,“ he explained and concluded by saying his son ”does not enjoy protective custody.”