Rev. José Eugenio Hoyos
Washington Hispanic
7 de septiembre de 2007
Este fin de semana, nuestra familia estará viajando a Cali a preparar el funeral de nuestro hermano mayor, el ex diputado Dr. Jairo Javier Hoyos Salcedo. Nuestras familias en Colombia han tomado turnos esperando día y noche en la morgue de Medicina Legal que la Cruz Roja Internacional transporte los cadáveres desde las zonas montañosas del Pacífico hasta Cali.
Cada segundo y cada momento se ha vuelto desesperante y aterrador. Hemos sabido que 20 patólogos, odontólogos, forenses y antropólogos, así como una comisión internacional de Canadá, Portugal y Dinamarca vigilará el proceso de verificación de los cuerpos. Ir a preparar el funeral y darle cristiana sepultura es mi deber como sacerdote y más como hermano. Pero también es muy duro y me siento con una gran herida en el corazón, porque siento que es volver a recordar momentos difíciles y amargos que son difíciles de digerir. Dar fortaleza a la familia y a miembros de otras familias es duro cuando uno tiene que ser fuerte. Igualmente, para preparar una homilía o una prédica hay que realmente sentir y trabajar en el perdón, la aceptación y pedirle a Dios el don de la fortaleza.
Lógico que ésta será una gran oportunidad para pedirle a la guerilla colombiana que pare de secuestrar y de asesinar a gente inocente; y al gobierno, para que continúe los diálogos hasta conseguir el tan controvertido acuerdo humanitario con despeje militar, porque son muchas las personas secuestradas que están sufriendo y el diálogo es lo único que nos brindará paz.
Desafortunadamente me ha tocado cancelar todos los eventos, las bodas, quinceañeras y bautizos, para dar aliento a mis seres queridos. Después del funeral por fin mis familiares y yo tendremos tranquilidad.
English translation by Rebel Girl:
Our pain has not ended
The long wait of over two and a half months for the return of the bodies of the 11 lawmakers assassinated by the FARC in Colombia and who were held hostage for five years, continues to be a source of agony and frustration mixed with feelings of sadness which fill not only our families who have been stricken by the violence but Colombia as a whole.This weekend our family will be traveling to Cali to prepare for the funeral of our older brother, the former lawmaker Dr. Jairo Javier Hoyos Salcedo. Our family members in Colombia have been taking turns waiting day and night in the Medicina Legal morgue for the International Red Cross to bring the bodies from the mountainous regions of the Pacific to Cali.
Every minute and every second have become infuriating and terrifying. We know that 20 Colombian pathologists, orthodontists, forensic scientists and anthropologists, as well as an international commission from Canada, Portugal, and Denmark will oversee the verification process for the bodies. Going to prepare the funeral and give a Christian burial is my duty as a priest and moreover as a brother. But it is also very hard and I feel a great wound in my heart because I feel like it is going back and remembering difficult and bitter moments which are not easy to swallow. Giving strength to the family and to other families is hard when one has to be strong oneself. Also, to prepare a homily or a sermon one must really feel and work towards forgiveness and acceptance and ask God for the gift of strength.
Obviously this would be a great opportunity to ask the Colombian guerrilla groups to stop taking hostages and assassinating innocent people, and to ask the government to continue the dialogue to achieve the controversial humanitarian accord and demilitarization, because there are still many hostages who are suffering and only dialogue offers peace.
Unfortunately I have had to cancel all events -- weddings, quinceañeras and baptisms -- to give strength and support to my loved ones. After the funeral my relatives and I will finally be at peace.
