Honduras: “Communities that used to kill each other pray together”

Life is not easy for Christians in Honduras. They must deal with criminal gangs, poverty, and a shortage of vocations. Veronica Katz, project coordinator for Central America at Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), recently visited the country and says that the fruits of pastoral work and the commitment of the country’s Catholics are a source of hope.

What did you find in Honduras?

Honduras is the second poorest country in Latin America, with 75 percent of the population living in poverty and high levels of inequality. The country is facing a serious energy crisis, with constant blackouts to ration electricity. Furthermore, extreme climate conditions have led to seasons of drought, or, on other occasions, torrential rain and massive floods, which are terrible for agriculture. Nonetheless, there is an even greater threat: the violence of the “maras.”

Who are the “maras”?

They are Central American gangs that operate in the drug market, and they are very violent. Honduras is a transit route for drug trafficking to the European Union and other countries. The Honduran “maras” control practically all of it. Families have trouble keeping businesses afloat, because of the “war tax,” a fee that the “maras” impose on citizens, which is often impossible to pay.

And how does the Honduran Church fare in this climate?

During our visit to the capital, our hosts explained that in some zones, it is very difficult to carry out pastoral work, especially with all the conflicts among the “maras,” since the different gangs fight over territory. We visited a parish in a part of the city controlled by the gangs, which makes the Church’s work extremely complicated. The bishops’ conference has issued a call for peace and asked the government to quell the insecurity in the country. All this makes the Catholic Church’s pastoral work more important than ever.

What other challenges does the Church face?

The lack of priests is a problem. In Honduras, priests serve four times as many people than in France, for example. Additionally, education levels are low; transportation outside of the cities is difficult; and there is hardly any formation in the parishes. The faithful are very poor, and there is a great lack of catechetical material. They don’t have the means to purchase it.

And the government makes it very difficult for foreign religious to obtain visas. They must fulfill all sorts of requirements and present many documents, which makes it difficult to enter and remain in the country.

What were the highlights of your trip?

There was something that I found very moving. A priest told me that when he arrived at his parish, there was a vicious conflict between two communities. He said that thanks to constant prayer, God intervened, and now these two groups have reconciled. This is difficult to fathom: communities that used to kill each other now pray together.

Hondurans are very open to the divine, and this is good, because they sincerely search for God. But it also makes them open to any spirituality, making them easy prey for sects, which have spread throughout the country. There is also a high degree of superstition in Honduras.

Why are these sects growing?

Hondurans are a people of great faith. They need God. However, as I mentioned, there are not enough Catholic priests to fulfill everybody’s spiritual needs. The few priests there are already have a very heavy workload. Honduras has the highest percentage of Protestants of any country in Latin America. There has been a remarkable increase in the number of Evangelical churches, and Protestants currently outnumber Catholics. Many of these Protestant sects are funded by groups in the United States, and their pastors go to places that are underserved by Catholic priests. Catholics are drawn to those sects basically out of habit, rather than conviction. The Church is making a big effort to educate its faithful, so they can better resist this invasion of other denominations and sects.

What is the commitment of the faithful like, with all these challenges?

Most Catholics are deeply committed to their parishes and actively participate in social activities. I was surprised to see how people who work tirelessly all day, in their coffee or cornfields, or taking care of livestock, spend all afternoon in their parishes. Their calendars are full of religious activities that take up their spare time. We found communities that were full of life and very well-organized. Instead of living an individual faith, they live their faith together, as a community, which is very beautiful. There are motivated priests, committed laity, and structured pastoral care. When you have this combination, you really begin to see positive results and pastoral fruits.

You visited a lot of ACN’s projects in Honduras. What kind of work does ACN support there?

Over the past five years, ACN has funded 65 projects in Honduras, worth more than one million dollars. Almost a third are related to the construction and renovation of parishes, rural chapels, and parish halls. We have also supported the formation of pastoral agents and seminarians, and provided aid for religious, catechetical material and media, and the purchase of vehicles.

—Lucia Ballister