The Pope has celebrated Mass at a former military base in Chile that not only lies on land contested by the indigenous Mapuche people, but was also a detention centre used during the country’s brutal dictatorship. The Pope has celebrated Mass at a former military base in Chile that not only lies on land contested by the indigenous Mapuche people, but was also a detention centre used during the country’s brutal dictatorship. A child reaches out to embrace Pope Francis during the offertory (AP) No-one has claimed responsibility for the 10 firebombs that have damaged, or in some cases burned churches to the ground, in recent days. The Argentine Jesuit pope took those factions to task, saying violence was not the answer to their grievances. The Argentine pope is particularly attuned to indigenous issues and their campaigns for recognition of their land, language, culture and traditions.

Source: Irish Independent January 17, 2018 15:11 UTC