Quito, Ecuador, Aug 14, 2013 / 15:30 pm
President Rafael Correa of Ecuador has apologized to Archbishop Lorenzo Voltolini of Portoviejo for the profanation of a chapel at the Verdi Cevallos Hospital last Friday.
All of the sacred objects in the chapel, including the tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament reserved, were removed on Aug. 9 to put in hospital beds.
On Aug. 13, the president called Archbishop Voltolini "to apologize for the incident, especially because the Blessed Sacrament was in the chapel," said Father Manuel Cedeno, a spokesman for the archdiocese.
President Correa "made it clear in his phone call that these kinds of acts are not in keeping with the policies of the Ecuadoran government," Fr. Cedeno told CNA. "This was reiterated by another official from the Ministry of Health."