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Lima, Peru, Feb 22, 2020 / 06:01 am (CNA).- A Dominican province in Peru has converted its formation house for aspirants in Lima into a hospital.

The Hospital of the Charity of Saint Martin de Porres was blessed at a dedication ceremony Jan. 23.

The hospital is headed by Fr. Luis Enrique Ramírez Camacho and Fr. Rómulo Vásquez Gavidia, the current prior provincial.

Speaking to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish language news partner, Ramírez explained the inspiration for the hospital came from the charitable example of both their founder St. Dominic and St. Martin de Porres.

The Dominicans did not want “just to devote ourselves to academic and intellectual affairs but also to dedicate ourselves to serving those most in need.”

Ramirez said that for years they have been conducting free healthcare campaigns but that they wanted  to do something “more concrete and developed,” which led to the idea of the new hospital.

“Everything the Church does in general and that we Dominicans do in particular is done on a non-profit basis (…)  Charity is ultimately the guide that all we, in general, Catholic Christians, are called to. And St. Martin de Porres set a particularly great example that we are invited to follow,” said Ramírez. “I think he understood perfectly what our father St. Dominic did,” he added.

Ramirez encouraged the hospital’s staff  always to bear in mind the humanity of the people they are serving, that “this is a human being who is suffering, who came to where you are to get relief.”

“Let us hope that here in our small hospital of the Charity of Saint Martin De Porres that people really experience that, just as St. Martin recognized in the suffering and needy person the face of our Lord Jesus who needs us,” he said.

The hospital’s director, Dr.  Valiery Cersso Vergara, recalled that St. Martin de Porres “didn’t hesitate to transform the Saint Dominic convent where he worked into an infirmary,” and that the saint “had a deep sense of charity. And that is what charity is, to look after other people, for their health and well-being … That’s what struck me when they called on me to set up the hospital.”

“Specialists will be coming here who are going to give their time to care for people in complete charity and it’s that sense of charity that leads us to the quality of the healthcare services,” Cersso said.

The hospital operates on a management model that allows it to cover the cost of caring for low income people. Some of the staff will work for less than what they normally receive, while others are able to work pro bono.  

“That is the meaning of the Hospital of the Charity of St. Martin de Porres,”  Ramirez explained, adding that added that “the charges are very moderate, but if the social worker determines that someone really can’t pay, then there’s a way to be treated for free.”

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 28, 2023 / 12:15 pm (CNA).
The discussion about the decriminalization of euthanasia in Ecuador started Nov. 20 when the country’s constitutional court began to evaluate the arguments for and aga… […]

Representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office arrive to dissuade the protesters in Peru, December 2022. / Credit: ANDINA/Dissemination

CNA Newsroom, Dec 13, 2022 / 17:45 pm (CNA).

The Peruvian Bishops’ Conference issued a statement “in view of the recent and painful events of violence” that the South American country is experiencing.

In a Dec. 12 message, the Peruvian bishops expressed their condolences to the relatives of those who died “as a result of the confrontation between protesters and law enforcement.”

The confrontations began after President Pedro Castillo on Dec. 7 declared a state of emergency, dissolved Congress, said he would rule by decree, and set a 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew. Hours later, Congress in turn voted overwhelmingly for a motion to declare the office of the presidency vacant for moral incapacity on the part of Castillo.

In addition, at least eight government ministers, including Alejandro Salas, the minister of Labor and Employment Promotion, submitted their resignations.

Castillo’s attempted usurpation of power took place amid a large number of corruption accusations against him, in which relatives of the president are involved.

After his removal from office, the now former President Castillo was arrested, and Dina Boluarte took office Dec. 7 as the new president of the Republic of Peru. Boluarte served as minister of Development and Social Inclusion of Peru and is also being investigated for corruption.

The removal of Castillo from office and his arrest caused his followers to start a wave of violent protests in the country’s south, which so far has claimed the lives of at least five people.

During the demonstrations, followers of Castillo invaded the runway of the Arequipa airport, which had to be closed to guarantee operational security.

Also in Arequipa, protesters looted and set fire to the Gloria company’s milk plant.

In addition, at least 25 points on the Peruvian highway network were blocked in protests demanding the release of the dismissed Castillo and the dissolution of the Congress of the Republic.

The violent protests caused President Boluarte to declare a 60-day state of emergency in the Apurímac district.

Faced with these acts of violence, the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference called for “building bridges of dialogue” and asked that the National Police of Peru ensure the people’s safety.

The Peruvian bishops called for all institutions “to seek the stability of the country, because we cannot afford the luxury of misrule in our country.”

“Violence is not the solution to the crisis or to differences. No more acts of violence! No more deaths! Peru must be our priority!” the bishops said in their statement.

Finally, they invoked the Virgin of Guadalupe, whose feast was celebrated the day of their statement, to “guide us along paths of justice and peace.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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