Alejandro Goic Karmelic
Encyclopedia
Alejandro Goic Karmelic is a Chile
an bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He is currently the bishop of the Diocese of Rancagua
and President of the Chilean Conference of Bishops. He was formerly an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Concepción
, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Osorno.
immigrants, from the island of Brač
, Dalmatia
. His father was Pedro Goic and his mother Margarita Karmelic; Alejandro was the youngest of four children.
Goic learned to read at a rural school, and continued his studies at the Instituto Don Bosco and the Liceo Salesiano in Punta Arenas. Later, he joined the Metropolitan Seminary of Concepción, where he studied philosophy, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
, where he studied theology.
on 12 March 1966 in Punta Arenas, by the man who motivated him to explore his priestly vocation, the bishop of the diocese, Vladimiro Boric. While in the Diocese of Punta Arenas, Goic served has the priest of Our Lady of Fatima parish and the chaplain of the penitentiary in Punta Arenas, until 1973.
In March 1973, he was appointed Vicar-General of Punta Arenas by Bishop Boric. Upon Boric's death, Goic went on to serve in the post of vicar capitular until the Holy See appointed a bishop for the diocese. The appointment went to Msgr. Tomas Gonzalez, and Goic continued on as vicar general until May 1979. During those years, Father Goic participated in the negotiations that the Catholic Church in Chile made with their counterparts in Argentina, in order to avoid a military conflict in the year 1978 (which would eventually be resolved by the arbitration of Pope John Paul II
). Between 1975 and 1976, he continued courses in theology at the Abbey of Saint Andrew in Bruges
, Belgium
.
of Africa, and auxiliary bishop
for the Archdiocese of Concepción
, receiving his episcopal ordination at Rome, on 27 May 1979.
On 30 June 1991, Goic was transferred from his ecclesiastical jurisdiction, this time as auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Talca
. This appointment lasted until 1994, when he was appointed Bishop of Diocese of Osorno.
On 10 July 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him a coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Rancagua—a coadjuctor bishop performs the same functions as an auxiliary bishop, but is entitled to succession when the office becomes vacant. Thus, with the resignation of Bishop Javier Prado Aránguiz (for reasons of age), Goic took over as the ordinary bishop of the Diocese of Rancagua. He has held that post since 2004, and is also the President of the Chilean Conference of Bishops. In 2007, Goic was approved for three years in that office.
, Goic repeatedly expressed his desire that the demonstrations reach a successful conclusion. Goic issued a statement expressing his opinion:
On 25 May 2006, a group of students threw stones at Goic's residence in the city of Rancagua, having done the same to the city's Liceo Oscar Castro. Paradoxically, the bishop had expressed his intention to mediate only hours before.
's outsourcing of workers. In a letter signed by him as President of the Chilean Conference of Bishops, dated to 18 July 2007, he stated:
political prisoner who held a hunger strike for 112 days.
In 2009, the Chilean Conference of Bishops, through the Goic's influence, posed the creation of a general presidential pardon for the year 2010, called the "Bicentennial Pardon". This appeal was subsequently recognized by the government. However, the possibility that military personnel convicted of violations of human rights would benefit from the pardon was ruled out by government spokesperson Carolina Tohá. The pardon was slated to take place after the 2009–2010 presidential election (that is, between mid-January annd early March 2010).
(ca. $270 USD
) should be replaced by an "ethical wage", which, in his opinion, would be not less than $250,000 CLP (ca. $470 USD). His remarks caused mixed reactions in the country's political, social, and business spheres.
Some characters in the political and business landscape, such as Senator Evelyn Matthei
, were skeptical of Bishop Goic's suggestion due to the potential negative effects it could have on small- and medium-sized enterprises; some considered the measure "manipulative". Nevertheless, many political parties and the Government itself were in favor of the proposal.
On 23 August, following a debate launched by Goic, President Michelle Bachelet
announced the formation of the Social Equity Advisory Council "Towards a Fairer Chile" (Hacia un Chile más Justo), which aims to propose reforms to Chilean labor.
and Sebastián Piñera
; the latter was criticized for this issue even within his own coalition, the conservative Independent Democrat Union
.
Piñera said he was in "total and absolute agreement" with Bishop Goic, but defended the use of homosexual issues in political campaigns because "a good president has to worry about all Chileans". Jorge Pizarro, the chief of Eduardo Frei's campaign, said in the strongest terms that, "even in the Church there are many homosexuals, people who commit crimes as sensitive as pedophilia, and they exist everywhere: and that's not going to silence the issue". Eduardo Frei was more conciliatory, saying that he could not exclude gay Chileans, because "we are all children of God and, therefore, we should all be welcome in our country".
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He is currently the bishop of the Diocese of Rancagua
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rancagua
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rancagua is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. The diocese was established on 18 October 1925 as Diócesis de Santa Cruz de Rancagua, by Pope Pius XII by means of the papal bull Apostolici muneris ratio.The current bishop is Msgr...
and President of the Chilean Conference of Bishops. He was formerly an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Concepción
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción is an archdiocese located in the city of Concepción in Chile.-History:* March 22, 1563: Established as Diocese of La Imperial from the Diocese of Santiago de Chile* 1603: Renamed as Diocese of Concepción...
, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Osorno.
Early life and studies
Alejandro Goic Karmelic born in the city of Punta Arenas on 7 March 1940, the son of a family of CroatianCroats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
immigrants, from the island of Brač
Brac
Brač is an island in the Adriatic Sea within Croatia, with an area of 396 km², making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. Its tallest peak, Vidova Gora, or Mount St. Vid, stands at 778 m, making it the highest island point in the Adriatic...
, Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
. His father was Pedro Goic and his mother Margarita Karmelic; Alejandro was the youngest of four children.
Goic learned to read at a rural school, and continued his studies at the Instituto Don Bosco and the Liceo Salesiano in Punta Arenas. Later, he joined the Metropolitan Seminary of Concepción, where he studied philosophy, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile is one of the six Catholic Universities existing in the Chilean university system and one of the two Pontifical Universities in the country, along with the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. It is also one of Chile's oldest universities and...
, where he studied theology.
Priesthood
Goic was ordained to the priesthoodPriesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on 12 March 1966 in Punta Arenas, by the man who motivated him to explore his priestly vocation, the bishop of the diocese, Vladimiro Boric. While in the Diocese of Punta Arenas, Goic served has the priest of Our Lady of Fatima parish and the chaplain of the penitentiary in Punta Arenas, until 1973.
In March 1973, he was appointed Vicar-General of Punta Arenas by Bishop Boric. Upon Boric's death, Goic went on to serve in the post of vicar capitular until the Holy See appointed a bishop for the diocese. The appointment went to Msgr. Tomas Gonzalez, and Goic continued on as vicar general until May 1979. During those years, Father Goic participated in the negotiations that the Catholic Church in Chile made with their counterparts in Argentina, in order to avoid a military conflict in the year 1978 (which would eventually be resolved by the arbitration of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
). Between 1975 and 1976, he continued courses in theology at the Abbey of Saint Andrew in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Bishopric
Pope John Paul II appointed Goic the Titular BishopTitular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Africa, and auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
for the Archdiocese of Concepción
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción is an archdiocese located in the city of Concepción in Chile.-History:* March 22, 1563: Established as Diocese of La Imperial from the Diocese of Santiago de Chile* 1603: Renamed as Diocese of Concepción...
, receiving his episcopal ordination at Rome, on 27 May 1979.
On 30 June 1991, Goic was transferred from his ecclesiastical jurisdiction, this time as auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Talca
Roman Catholic Diocese of Talca
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Talca, , is a suffragan diocese of the archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. Its current bishop is Mgr. Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca. The retired bishop is Mgr...
. This appointment lasted until 1994, when he was appointed Bishop of Diocese of Osorno.
On 10 July 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him a coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Rancagua—a coadjuctor bishop performs the same functions as an auxiliary bishop, but is entitled to succession when the office becomes vacant. Thus, with the resignation of Bishop Javier Prado Aránguiz (for reasons of age), Goic took over as the ordinary bishop of the Diocese of Rancagua. He has held that post since 2004, and is also the President of the Chilean Conference of Bishops. In 2007, Goic was approved for three years in that office.
Social role
One of the main concerns of Goic's years as a priest has been social issues. His special sensitivity to the issues of poverty and social justice originate with a deep identification with the sufferings of Jesus Christ and the principles of the Gospel.Workers' rights
During the 1980s, when Goic was auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Concepción, he decided to visit Father Enrique Moreno Laval, a vicar in the Lota coal mining area, in order to familiarize himself with the situation of native workers demanding labor improvements. In turn, he received complaints from unionists in the military regime, who gave him the epithet "Bishop Red". Goic, however, has never been afraid of reprisals, although on one occasion recordings of the radio program Testimonio—which documents human rights and labor abuses—were seized by the military.2006 student protests
Although not a formal mediator between the warring parties of the 2006 student demonstrations2006 student protests in Chile
The 2006 student protests in Chile were a series of ongoing student voice protests carried out by high school students across Chile from late April to early June 2006...
, Goic repeatedly expressed his desire that the demonstrations reach a successful conclusion. Goic issued a statement expressing his opinion:
There isn't anyone in Chile that doesn't want to improve the quality and equity of education here. One would like to ask the student leaders, who have proven very competent, that they have a little patience, so that [this issue] may be worked through in the parliament.
On 25 May 2006, a group of students threw stones at Goic's residence in the city of Rancagua, having done the same to the city's Liceo Oscar Castro. Paradoxically, the bishop had expressed his intention to mediate only hours before.
Labor outsourcing
In his capacity as Bishop of Rancagua, Goic was a key factor in the 2007 negotiations between conflicting parties in a fight over CodelcoCodelco
CODELCO is the Chilean state owned copper mining company formed in 1976 from the foreign owned copper companies that were nationalised in 1971. The headquarters are in Santiago and the seven-man board of directors is appointed by the President of the Republic...
's outsourcing of workers. In a letter signed by him as President of the Chilean Conference of Bishops, dated to 18 July 2007, he stated:
Progress is needed on the subject of collective bargaining on the issue of the company's outsourcing. Recent events are a sign of insufficient legislation in this area. The right to collective bargaining in effective terms is a basic right that the international community and the Church itself recognizes as belonging to workers. This recognition is not complete without avenues to prevent the worker from collaborating with those who most directly benefit from the fruits of his labor.
Other issues
During the first months of 2008, he served as a mediator between the government and Patricia Troncoso, a pro-MapucheMapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
political prisoner who held a hunger strike for 112 days.
In 2009, the Chilean Conference of Bishops, through the Goic's influence, posed the creation of a general presidential pardon for the year 2010, called the "Bicentennial Pardon". This appeal was subsequently recognized by the government. However, the possibility that military personnel convicted of violations of human rights would benefit from the pardon was ruled out by government spokesperson Carolina Tohá. The pardon was slated to take place after the 2009–2010 presidential election (that is, between mid-January annd early March 2010).
Controversies
Ethical salaries
In 2007, just weeks after the state mining company Codelco reached an agreement with the outsourced employees, the prelate said in an interview that the minimum salary of $144,000 CLPChilean peso
The peso is the currency of Chile. The current peso has circulated since 1975, with a previous version circulating between 1817 and 1960. The symbol used locally for it is $. The ISO 4217 code for the present peso is CLP. It is subdivided into 100 centavos, although no centavo denominated coins...
(ca. $270 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) should be replaced by an "ethical wage", which, in his opinion, would be not less than $250,000 CLP (ca. $470 USD). His remarks caused mixed reactions in the country's political, social, and business spheres.
Some characters in the political and business landscape, such as Senator Evelyn Matthei
Evelyn Matthei
Evelyn Rose Matthei Fornet is a Chilean economist and politician.Matthei entered Chilean politics in the late '80s and early '90s, as part of the National Renewal party's youth group called Patrulla Juvenil, along the future President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, and future fellow senator and...
, were skeptical of Bishop Goic's suggestion due to the potential negative effects it could have on small- and medium-sized enterprises; some considered the measure "manipulative". Nevertheless, many political parties and the Government itself were in favor of the proposal.
On 23 August, following a debate launched by Goic, President Michelle Bachelet
Michelle Bachelet
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
announced the formation of the Social Equity Advisory Council "Towards a Fairer Chile" (Hacia un Chile más Justo), which aims to propose reforms to Chilean labor.
Homosexual unions
In November 2009, Goic expressed concern at the emergence of same-sex couples in party political broadcasts for the presidential election of that year, particularly in advertisements for the candidates Eduardo FreiEduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle is a Chilean politician and civil engineer who was President of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He is currently Senator for Los Ríos and was President of the Senate from 2006 to 2008. He attempted a comeback as the candidate of the ruling Concertación...
and Sebastián Piñera
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique is a Chilean businessman and politician. He was elected President of Chile in January 2010, taking office in March 2010.- Education :...
; the latter was criticized for this issue even within his own coalition, the conservative Independent Democrat Union
Independent Democrat Union
The Independent Democrat Union is a Chilean right-wing, conservative political party, founded in 1983. Its main inspirer was the lawyer, politician and law professor Jaime Guzmán, a former senator of the Republic of Chile from 1990 until his assassination on April 1, 1991.Its ideological origins...
.
Piñera said he was in "total and absolute agreement" with Bishop Goic, but defended the use of homosexual issues in political campaigns because "a good president has to worry about all Chileans". Jorge Pizarro, the chief of Eduardo Frei's campaign, said in the strongest terms that, "even in the Church there are many homosexuals, people who commit crimes as sensitive as pedophilia, and they exist everywhere: and that's not going to silence the issue". Eduardo Frei was more conciliatory, saying that he could not exclude gay Chileans, because "we are all children of God and, therefore, we should all be welcome in our country".