Annual Mass celebrates peace on Chile-Argentina border
March 04, 2015
More than 2,000 Catholics from Chile and Argentina gathered on the border between their countries on March 1, to attend a Mass in thanksgiving for the peace between their nations, the Fides news service reports.
Bishop Francisco Javier Stegmeier Schmidlin of Villarrica, Chile, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Virginio Bressanelli of Neuquen, Argentina, at a border crossing in the Neuquen province. The Mass has been celebrated there each year since 1950 (except in 2010, when an earthquake forced cancellation).
Argentina and Chile have a history of conflicts over territory, including disputes over the border that runs through the Andes Mountains, stretching more than 3,000 miles. In recent years, however, relations between the two countries have been generally amicable.
Reflecting on the joint celebration, Bishop Bressanelli remarked: “This means that God did not create borders.” He added: “We are a family, the family of God.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
