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Episcopal Church Workers in El Salvador Released After International Campaign

Episcopal News Service. January 10, 1990 [90001]

Seven Episcopal church workers, seized in a predawn raid on November 20 at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist in central San Salvador, were released on January 5 by order of a judge. Julio Castro Ramirez, whose brother is a prominent leader of the antigovernment guerrilla forces, is still being detained.

The murder of six Jesuit priests and raids on a number of church facilities set off a firestorm of protest by international church leaders who see the actions as part of a deliberate campaign of terror against churches as they try to help Salvadorans caught in the crossfire of a decade of civil war. In a November 29 statement the leaders of a dozen U.S. churches expressed "outrage over the deliberate and calculated campaign by government forces in El Salvador to intimidate and harass the churches." The church leaders began a campaign of their own -- to press U.S. and Salvadoran government officials for an end to the harassment.

On December 5, Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning of the Episcopal Church sent four of his bishops to meet with the U.S. ambassador and Salvadoran government leaders, including President Alfredo Cristiani, seeking the release of all church workers. A few weeks later a delegation from the National Council of Churches also met with government leaders to underscore international concerns for the safety of the church workers. Both delegations expressed special concern for the Rev. Luis Serrano, rector of St. John Church and head of CREDHO, the social service agency of the Diocese of El Salvador, which is part of the Episcopal Church in the USA. Serrano had been officially charged with covering up guerrilla activity on the grounds of the church.

In a statement following the release of the church workers, Browning said, "The agonizing period of waiting is finally ending."

He praised all those who had worked for the release and said the diocesan lawyer would continue efforts for release of Castro. Browning added that the crisis in Central America continues, and he repeated his call for "a complete reassessment of our government's policy in Latin America" and said the church should lift up the "deep moral issues involved" in such a process.

Bishop William Frey of Colorado, one of the four bishops sent by Browning to El Salvador, said he was convinced the trip was helpful in gaining the release of the church workers. He called the release "a great Epiphany present," referring to the Christian celebration of the twelfth day of Christmas when Jesus was revealed as the Christ to the Magi.

The Rev. Ricardo Potter, the Episcopal Church's partnership officer for Latin America, said the seven church workers faced their release "with mixed feelings. They were happy but still frightened about their safety." Potter said no conditions were placed on their release and everyone "seemed to be in good health."

The Spanish ambassador to El Salvador "played a key role in the release, as he did earlier with some Spanish detainees who were working with the Lutheran Church in El Salvador," Potter added. The ambassador accompanied diocesan officials when they went to the prison at Santa Ana, an hour outside of the capital, to present the court order for the release. Potter said Luis Serrano spent the night at the Spanish embassy and left on January 7 on a flight to Spain for a period of rest.

Browning and Potter stressed that the intimidation of the church in El Salvador continues and "we intend to monitor the situation in the future." The church is looking for volunteers to provide pastoral support for the diocese.

In a letter from Spain, Serrano sent a "fraternal hug of welcome and appreciation" to those who had helped with his release. He said the authorities had "not been able to prove any of the things of which we are accused. But what we do confess is that we have served and will continue to serve the God of our people." Talking about his time in prison, Serrano added, "God has given us the privilege to be a living and painful testimony of solidarity with our brothers and sisters -- prisoners, persecuted, marginalized, and repressed." While in prison, he was prohibited from celebrating the Eucharist for the first time in his 36 years as a priest.