Religion: LATIN AMERICA: A DIVIDED CHURCH

Shortly before dawn one Sunday this month, 214 left-wing Roman Catholics — including six priests and two nuns — "captured" the cathedral in Santiago, Chile. Barricading the doors against all outsiders for 15 hours, they celebrated an informal liturgy, then issued a manifesto denouncing Pope Paul's scheduled visit this week to the 39th International Eucharistic Congress in Bogota, Colombia. "Christ does not need masses of people singing in the streets, or acclaiming his vicarage, or thousands of wax candles," said the declaration. "The Christ of the poor needs courageous action aimed at changing the conditions of the Latin American people." The...

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