Falklands Crisis Spurs Argentine Churches
Episcopal News Service. June 3, 1982 [82144]
BUENOS AIRES (DPS, June 3) -- Within an atmosphere of intense nationalism and an unsettled economy that the Falkland Islands conflict has brought to Argentina, Christians appear to have been forced into deep reflection on the meaning of peace, unity and love.
In this city of almost 8 million inhabitants, huge crowds are gathering together every night to pray for peace. "The ecumenical movement has suddenly taken a new level," says the Rt. Rev. Richard Cutts, Anglican Bishop of Argentina.
"It is moving to see hundreds of people in our church in Martinez (a suburb of Buenos Aires) praying for peace. We pray for President Galtieri and Prime Minister Thatcher; we pray for all who are suffering the consequences of the war," he adds.
He notes that the spirit of the prayer meetings is "penitence, reconciliation and peace," and that local synagogues have also opened their doors to the ecumenical leaders who organize these evening events.
The two dioceses of the Anglican Church in Argentina find themselves deeply embroiled in both the ministry and the turmoil. The Diocese of Argentina, on the center and south is composed mainly of Anglo-Argentines and was established in the last century and the Diocese of Northern Argentina was created in 1965 from ministry to Indian communities dating back to 1911. The latter has developed Iniciativa Cristiana, a large program which defends the rights of the Indian and provides agricultural, medical and educational assistance.
While the work in the southern diocese has been of a chaplaincy nature -- ministering to the English immigrants who came here last century to build the railroads and to establish their own business -- the work in the northern diocese has a distinctively missionary emphasis. Here the South American Missionary Society of England has played a very important role.
The war with England has meant that at least 20 English missionaries have left the country and five others on furlough are not planning to return. The 16 clergy in the southern diocese are in their places of work and have no plans to leave Argentina. In almost every other case, indigenous leaders have taken the place of the missionaries. "The war may be a blessing in disguise," chuckles an old missionary.
Both dioceses are under the leadership of two Anglo-Argentine bishops. Cutts was born here, served as a missionary in Africa and now lives with his family here in Buenos Aires.
Bishop David Leake, also born in Argentina, of missionary parents is in charge of the northern diocese based in Salta. He became diocesan bishop two years ago and has already been chosen to head the new Province of the Southern Cone, which will include Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru. The official inauguration of the Province was scheduled for May, but it has been postponed indefinitely.
In 1974 the two Argentine dioceses became part of the autonomous CASA, the South American Anglican Council which will cease to exist with the formation of the new province. Until then, the work in Argentina was under the metropolitical jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
However, the Anglicans in the Falkland Islands declined to be part of a South American organization, and they were detached from CASA in 1977 and returned to the jurisdiction of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury has since appointed the Bishop of Argentina as his Commissary in the Falkland Islands.
Now with the apparent outcome of the conflict and the forthcoming visit of the Pope, the Anglicans here pray fervently that peace with dignity may be accomplished and that the wounds of the war will heal soon for the good of both England and Argentina, and the rest of the world.
"We certainly have a great pastoral task here," affirms Leake. "The quality of our Christian lives will be tested in the months to come," he adds.