[Episcopal Anglican Church of El Salvador] The Rt. Rev. David Alvarado, bishop of El Salvador, delivered the following pastoral letter regarding escalating violence in El Salvador during a Sept. 1 press conference in San Salvador. In August alone 911 murders were committed, an average of 30 per day.

“Righteousness and justice will reign in all places of the country” (Is 32:16, DHH)

Peace and goodness in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to all men and women of our beloved El Salvador and the international community. The Episcopal Anglican Church of El Salvador, through the Diocesan Bishop, Clergy, and Laypersons, expresses the following:

1. Before the unrest, violence and the criminal actions of organized crime affecting our country, El Salvador, we sympathize and share the grief and pain of the families who are victims of violation of their fundamental rights, such as life. And we remember the divine mandate that urges us to “not kill”. (Deuteronomy 5:17).

2. The Church regrets that organized groups that generate violence and anguish have forced many families to flee their homes, their communities, and even their country. Neither the Salvadoran State nor international bodies are responding effectively to the magnitude of the serious problem that these families live.

3. That our Church deeply regrets that due to the prevalence and enforcement of dark interests, the Salvadoran people are bleeding, day after day; terror, desolation, and despair reign in our society. (Isaiah 61:4)

4. That we regret that political, academic, powerful economic sectors, and civil society organizations are not able to agree to jointly find solutions to the serious problems of crime, poverty, and marginalization our people live. “The fruit of righteousness will be peace”, Isaiah, 32:18.

For all of the above, our Church unites in the cry and suffering of our people and as our Pastor and Prophet, the Beatified Oscar Arnulfo Romero would say and now in our own words: We ask you, we pray you, we command you in the name of God:

Here is the full pastoral letter.