Ecuadorians support Archbishop in clash with renegade priests

Quito, Ecuador, Jun 7, 2005 / 22:00 pm

Dozens of residents in the Quito neighborhood known as “Struggle of the Poor” marched through the streets carrying signs in support of the decision of Archbishop Raul Vela Chiriboga to send two Spanish priests back to Spain for neglecting to carry out their pastoral duties at a local parish and instead engaging in social activism.

The two Spanish priests, Father Jose Luis Molina and Father Miguel Angel, adherents of Marxist liberation theology, returned to their own diocese of Jerez, Spain.

Numerous families gathered outside the archdiocesan chancery in Quito to express their support for the decision of Archbishop Vela to send the priests back to Spain for neglecting the pastoral life of the parish of Santa Maria del Inti.

Supporters expressed their disagreement with the direction of the Spanish priests, who disobeyed directives from the archdiocese and even neglected to celebrate Sunday Mass at the parish.

The archbishop named Father Patricio Manzano to be the new pastor of Santa Maria del Inti and had recently issued a statement that was signed by all of the vicars and deans of the archdiocese and which reminded the faithful that “the parish is not a political party, a trade union, nor an NGO.”