Samuel Ruiz
Encyclopedia
Samuel Ruiz García was a Mexican
Roman Catholic prelate
who served as bishop
of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas
, Chiapas
, from 1959 until 2000. This zone in Mexico is characterized by its poverty and its indigenous population. Some 40,000 indigenous Mexicans received some kind of help from this bishop for over 10 years.
Samuel Ruiz, who was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato
, offered his help in conflicts in Central America and defended indigenous populations in Mexico and in Central and South America.
He contributed largely to calm the difficult situation between the federal government and the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (Zapatista Army of National Liberation
). He presided over the funeral of 45 members of the civil society group Las Abejas
after the 1997 massacre in Acteal
.
In 1996, Ruiz was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award
. It was named after a 1963 encyclical
letter by Pope John XXIII
that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris
is Latin
for Peace on Earth. In 1997, Ruiz received the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
in recognition of his human rights work defending indigenous populations in Mexico, particularly in Chiapas
.
He was awarded the Simón Bolívar International Prize from UNESCO
in 2000 due to his efforts to fight poverty, exclusion, corruption, violence and for his help in the mutual understanding of Latin Americans.
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
Roman Catholic prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
who served as bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. the bishop was Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel and the auxiliary bishop Enrique Díaz Díaz.-Ordinaries:*Juan de Arteaga y Avendaño *Bartolomé de las Casas, O.P...
, Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, from 1959 until 2000. This zone in Mexico is characterized by its poverty and its indigenous population. Some 40,000 indigenous Mexicans received some kind of help from this bishop for over 10 years.
Samuel Ruiz, who was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato
Irapuato, Guanajuato
Irapuato is a Mexican city located at the foot of the Arandas mountain , in the south central region of the state of Guanajuato. It lies between the Silao River and the Guanajuato River, a tributary of the Lerma River, at 1,724 m above sea level. It is located at...
, offered his help in conflicts in Central America and defended indigenous populations in Mexico and in Central and South America.
He contributed largely to calm the difficult situation between the federal government and the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (Zapatista Army of National Liberation
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
). He presided over the funeral of 45 members of the civil society group Las Abejas
Las Abejas
Las Abejas, or "The Bees," is a Christian pacifist civil society group of Tzotzil Maya formed in Chenalho, Chiapas in 1992 following a familial property dispute that left one person killed. When members of the community took the injured man to the nearest town for medical attention, they were...
after the 1997 massacre in Acteal
Acteal
Acteal is a small village in the municipality of Chenalhó, in the Mexican state of Chiapas, about 20 km north of San Cristóbal de las Casas. It became known internationally at the end of 1997 for the massacre of 45 indigenous people....
.
In 1996, Ruiz was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award
Pacem in Terris Award
The Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award is a Catholic peace award which has been given annually since 1964, in commemoration of the 1963 encyclical letter "Pacem in Terris" of Pope John XXIII...
. It was named after a 1963 encyclical
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
letter by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris
Pacem in Terris
Pacem in Terris was a papal encyclical issued by Pope John XXIII on 11 April 1963. It was the last encyclical drafted by John XXIII, who died from cancer two months after its completion ....
is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for Peace on Earth. In 1997, Ruiz received the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, called also "the Nobel Prize for human rights", was created in 1993 to honour and protect individuals around the world who demonstrate exceptional courage in defending and promoting human rights...
in recognition of his human rights work defending indigenous populations in Mexico, particularly in Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
.
He was awarded the Simón Bolívar International Prize from UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2000 due to his efforts to fight poverty, exclusion, corruption, violence and for his help in the mutual understanding of Latin Americans.