Chiapas: burial of Samuel Ruiz in the cathedral of San Cristóbal de Las Casas

On 26 January was buried Don Samuel Ruiz, bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de Las Casas who died in a hospital in Mexico City on 24 January; he was laid to rest in the altar of the cathedral of San Cristóbal. Following the arrival of his body to the city in the early morning of the 25th, the same day on which was to be celebrated his fifty-first year of service, thousands of people of all ages, social classes, and skin color bid farewell to their jtatic or jtotic (“Father” in the indigenous languages of tseltal and tsotsil, respectively).

To the celebration of his burial came thousands of ecclesiastical and political authorities, indigenous individuals, rights-defenders, social and political activists, and members of society in general who nearly filled the “peace” plaza in front of the cathedral.

From various parts of Mexico and the world came expressions of condolences and recognition of Ruiz Garcia’s contributions as regards human rights and peace in local, national, and international settings.

In the cathedral plaza, the Las Abejas Civil Society read a communiqué that perhaps expressed the feelings of many of those present: “Thank you Jtotik Samuel, who was granted by our Father-Mother God 86 years of life. God gave you a large soul and heart. You were never afraid of struggling against the powerful. You were never afraid of arms. You overcame all the obstacles emplaced by the powerful. You go to the place that Father-Mother God calls you to, but your spirit and the work you taught us and shared with us here will remain here in our communities and in our thought and heart […]. Jtotik Samuel, you go, but you remain in our hearts. You go, but the fruit of your labor continues here, where it will bear more fruit still. The organization Las Abejas is an example of the fruits of your work. Thanks to you Jtotik Samuel, we no longer walk hunched-over. We no longer bow our head to ‘the powerful,’ thanks to you.”

For more information (in Spanish):

Ruiz receives the best homage: that of the Indians (La Jornada, 26 January)

The work of the “bishop of the poor” could not be stopped even by the Vatican (La Jornada, 26 January)

The Vatican commemorates the “bishop of the poor” (El Universal, 26 January)

They come from the mountains to say farewell to “Tatic” (El Universal, 26 January)

Farewell to Samuel Ruiz in San Cristóbal de las Casas (Milenio, 26 January)

We will defend ourselves as you taught us, the indigenous tell the Tatic (La Jornada, 27 January)

The weight of the EZLN regarding the death of Don Samuel, a special Catholic (La Jornada, 27 January)

EPR: he never denied shelter to the unprotected (La Jornada, 27 January)

The indigenous sing to “Tatic” in his final resting-place (El Universal, 27 January)

“Don Samuel awakened solidarity with the oppressed” (El Universal, 27 January)

Jtotik Samuel, God gave you a grand heart and soul (Communiqué of Las Abejas, 25 January 2011)