Abuja, Nigeria, Sep 15, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Presiding at the Te Deum for the 194th anniversary of Cochabamba, Bolivia, Archbishop Tito Solari of Cochabamba warned this week that those who are corrupt do not know God and have not heard His message.
“Corruption is a terrible evil with consequences especially for the poor. And whoever robs those who can’t defend themselves has not known God nor received his message of love,” the archbishop said during the ceremony, which was attended by President Carlos Mesa, several cabinet members and some local officials.
Archbishop Solari recalled that the nature of God is love and those who call themselves disciples or claim to believe in Him should demonstrate it by their actions.
Service, respect, honesty, care for others, are the fruits of the unconditional love of God in people, said the archbishop. “Corruption is the opposite, it is the direct denial of this love, the appropriation of goods that are not our own, it is robbery, and it harms the needy, the poor and those who cannot defend themselves. How sad, what a pity, what harm we cause people because of corruption,” he said.