Photo @SIPAZ
On Saturday 24 January, the Believing People of the San Cristóbal de Las Casas diocese held a pilgrimage through the streets of this city to commemorate the struggle and path of Don Samuel Ruíz García, the former bishop of Chiapas, who died four years ago. Close to 10,000 believers, including Ch’ol, Tseltal, Tsotsil, Tojolobal, and mestizo men and women, participated in the pilgrimage which left from two points in the city toward Peace Plaza, where a mass was celebrated in honor of “jTatic Samuel.” The banners that were carried during the event demonstrated the concern the pilgrims have for Mother Earth and the struggles they are undertaking to defend it, employing texts such as “no to mining,” “no to the highway,” and “our Mother Earth, the life-root of our people, we will defend.”
Photo @SIPAZ
The pilgrims also expressed their solidarity with the struggle for justice carried out by the families of the 43 disappeared students from Ayotzinapa, as their banners also showed.
For more information (in Spanish):
“Reconocimiento jTatic Samuel jCanan Lum”, lanzamiento de convocatoria (Koman Ilel, 23 de enero de 2015)
[VIDEO] Peregrinación del Pueblo Creyente recuerda a jTatic Samuel Ruiz(Koman Ilel, 25 de enero de 2015)
Peregrinación Pueblo Creyente (Koman Ilel, 24 de enero de 2015)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
Chiapas: New threats against members of the Believing People in Simojovel after their fifth pilgrimage demanding security and peace (12 November de 2014)
Chiapas: Believing People organize fourth pilgrimage in Simojovel (20 July 2014)
Chiapas: Urgent Action concerning threats to Marcelo Pérez, priest of Simojovel (28 June 2014)
Chiapas: Pilgrimage in Simojovel for the closure of “cantinas” and the end of violence; parish priest receives threats (13 June 2014)
Chiapas: Believing People holds pilgrimage in Simojovel to denounce the increase in violence in the municipality (October 26, 2013)
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