Vicariate of Solidarity
Encyclopedia
The Vicariate of Solidarity (1976-1992) was an agency of the Chilean Catholic Church
, established by Pope Paul VI
at the request of Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez with the goal of assisting the victims of the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet
.
Its work was divided into departments, such as legal and social assistance, among others. The Vicariate protected not only victimes of prision, torture, dismissed, or relegation, but also helped search for the missing ("desaparecidos
"), condemned the political repression, encouraged the creation of organizations for subsistence (communal kitchens, shopping together, etc.) in cities and rural areas, in addition to training for unemployed people to find employment around Santiago. Its valuable work made it a symbol of the struggle for human rights during the military regime.
Roman Catholicism in Chile
The Catholic Church in Chile is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome, and the Chilean Bishops Conference....
, established by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
at the request of Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez with the goal of assisting the victims of the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
.
Its work was divided into departments, such as legal and social assistance, among others. The Vicariate protected not only victimes of prision, torture, dismissed, or relegation, but also helped search for the missing ("desaparecidos
Forced disappearance
In international human rights law, a forced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the...
"), condemned the political repression, encouraged the creation of organizations for subsistence (communal kitchens, shopping together, etc.) in cities and rural areas, in addition to training for unemployed people to find employment around Santiago. Its valuable work made it a symbol of the struggle for human rights during the military regime.