Members Of The Catholic Church Say No To Pascua-lama

Members of the Catholic Church say NO to Pascua-Lama

10th April 2006

http://www.conferre.cl

In a public declaration, the Conference of Superiors and Members of Religious Orders of Chile (CONFERRE), manifested thier opposition to the project of mining company Barrick Gold, Pascua-Lama, because according to them this project will bring imminent damage to life.

Text of the Declaration:

Conference of Superiors and Major Superiors of Religious Orders of Chile -- CONFERRE
Santiago, Chile
Public Declaration:

We, members of religious orders of the National Conference (CONFERRE), united as Superiors and Major Superiors in Assembly, as well as many of our brothers and sisters, feel that we can no longer remain silent in the fact of the imminent damage to the life of our people that will certainly be caused by the mining project of Barrick Gold, "Pascua Lama;" and following this project, the other mining projects that are proposed to take away the mineral riches that exist in our Andes, through destruction and death.

It is a scandal and a lie that companies of great economic power and scant ethical prestige are able to present themselves as innocents who are coming to benefit us, when their abusive exploitation does not respect the lives of humans nor nature.

For this we say NO TO PASCUA-LAMA

We are persons who have put ourselves at the service and defense of life and we want to make our committment visible, uniting ourselves with the multitude of voices who are clamoring for "more life," more respect for Creation and the necessity to preserve the integrity and therefore the balance of nature at the service of LIFE.

This declaration will accompany the collection of signatures which we have made in our assembly.

Sister Marta Núñez, r.s.c.j.
Executive Secretary - Conferre

P. Hernán Vargas, cp.
President of Conferre

Sister Francisca Morales
Chapter of Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation