Report on the Romero Lecture

By Kathy Shaw

This talk was given by Fr Luis Orlando Pérez Jiménez  supported by Julian Filochowski, Chair of the Archbishop Romero Trust

Fr Luis Orlando Pérez Jiménez is a Jesuit priest from Mexico and has vast experience of work in the field of human rights in Latin America.  He worked as a lawyer at the Human Rights Centre in Mexico City and his work with the Jesuit-run Centre exposed him to the plight of thousands of mothers who had lost their children because of forced disappearances and extra-judicial killings committed by Mexican military forces and organised crime. Now a doctoral student at the University College London Institute of the Americas, Fr Luis is researching these grave human rights violations, which have claimed over 100,000 victims in Mexico, and the culture of impunity surrounding it.

The title of the lecture “Excavating Hope” reflects the desperate and dangerous work undertaken by 240 networks of mainly women across Mexico who are seeking answers and hoping to find the bodies of their loved ones.   They connect locally and regionally to share information and support, building a community in the face of great challenges.  This high-risk activism can and does result in threats and on occasion the risk of death.  Simply being seen to support the search for the “disappeared” can be enough to bring consequences from organised crime, or corrupt government and police officials.

Fr Luis spoke powerfully of faith, hope and love. The critical connections and relationships sustaining these 2000 women searching for their loved ones, should be mirrored in our experiences of Church, “ relationships are the key, if you don’t connect with someone, where is the reason to come back?”

Oscar Romero brings an inspiration of collective action through a united community, as a “a Prophet of Hope”.  Fr Luis spoke about Oscar Romero, a privileged Archbishop who could have stepped back from the atrocities he witnessed but instead was inspired to action by the community he served.  Fr Luis described his own experiences and the inspiration he has through his faith and through being with people who had few material benefits but were determined to fight for their rights.  He challenged us to be part of the solution, “be a witness” and in doing so “to encounter God, the source of our hope”.