VaticanNews portal reports on a statement issued on May 13, 2026, by the Permanent Committee of the Bishops’ Conference of Chile, titled “Restoring Social Peace and Political Dialogue.” Amidst student protests, wildfires, and political upheaval, these “bishops” invoke Augustine, Benedict XVI, and Scripture to call for “a greater ethic of dialogue,” “charity and solidarity,” and “social peace” as the foundations for a “truly humane society.” The statement is a textbook example of the conciliar Church’s reduction of the Faith to naturalistic humanism, utterly devoid of any supernatural remedy for the crises afflicting Chile or the world. It is a call for more “dialogue” from men who have abandoned the only dialogue that matters: the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the King of Nations, for the salvation of souls.
The Absence of the Supernatural: A Dialogue Devoid of God
The most glaring and damning omission in the Chilean “bishops'” statement is the complete absence of any supernatural solution to Chile’s woes. While they speak of “social peace,” “justice,” “mutual respect,” and the “common good,” they remain entirely within the realm of naturalistic humanism. There is no call to conversion, no mention of the necessity of the Sacraments for salvation, no warning against mortal sin, no exhortation to repentance, and no acknowledgment that true peace is only possible through the reign of Christ the King.
Pius XI, in his encyclical *Quas Primas*, unequivocally stated: “the hope of lasting peace will not yet shine upon nations as long as individuals and states renounce and do not wish to recognize the reign of our Savior.” He further lamented that “this kind of outpouring of evil has afflicted the whole world because very many have removed Jesus Christ and His most holy law from their customs, from private, family, and public life.” The Chilean “bishops,” by omitting Christ’s Kingship and His law from their prescription for Chile, demonstrate their adherence to the very secularism Pius XI condemned as “the plague that poisons human society.” Their “dialogue” is a dialogue with the world, on the world’s terms, without the One who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6).
“Social Peace” Without Christ the King: A Modernist Chimera
The statement defines “social peace” as “not merely the absence of violence, but the fruit of justice, mutual respect, and the sincere willingness to seek the common good together.” While these are noble sentiments in the abstract, they are entirely insufficient without the foundation of the Catholic Faith. True justice, as defined by the Church, is “the constant and perpetual will to render to each one his due” (*iustitia constans et perpetua voluntas ius suum unicuique tribuendi*), and this “due” is ultimately defined by God’s law. Without the recognition of God’s supreme authority and the moral order He has established, “justice” becomes a malleable concept dictated by human whims and political expediency.
Pius XI, in *Quas Primas*, explicitly stated that “the state is happy not by one means, and man by another; for the state is nothing else than a harmonious association of men.” He further emphasized that “there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), and that Christ’s reign “encompasses all men… so that most truly the entire human race is subject to the authority of Jesus Christ.” The Chilean “bishops'” call for “social peace” without explicitly demanding the public recognition of Christ’s Kingship and the submission of the state to His laws is a direct contradiction of Catholic doctrine. It is the very “secularism of our times, so-called laicism, its errors and wicked endeavors” that Pius XI identified as the root cause of societal ills.
The “Ethic of Dialogue” as a Substitute for Truth
The “bishops'” call for “a greater ethic of dialogue” and their assertion that “looking to find a consensus is not a weakness but shows ‘political maturity and love for one’s country'” is a hallmark of modernist relativism. The Church has never taught that truth is subject to consensus or that dialogue with error is a virtue. On the contrary, the Church has always been the guardian of revealed truth, proclaiming it without compromise.
The *Syllabus of Errors* of Pius IX condemned the proposition that “the Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization” (Proposition 80). This “ethic of dialogue” is precisely such a reconciliation with the world’s errors, a willingness to negotiate the immutable truths of the Faith for the sake of a false peace. The “bishops” are not seeking the conversion of Chile to Catholicism; they are seeking a “consensus” that inevitably dilutes the Faith and accommodates the errors of the age.
St. Pius X, in *Lamentabili Sane Exitu*, condemned the modernist error that “the Church listening cooperates in such a way with the Church teaching in defining truths of faith, that the Church teaching should only approve the common opinions of the Church listening” (Proposition 6). The Chilean “bishops'” emphasis on “dialogue” and “consensus” reflects this modernist inversion, where the “common opinions” of the world, rather than the divinely revealed truths of the Magisterium, become the guiding principle.
Naturalistic “Charity” and “Solidarity” Without Grace
The statement concludes by asking for “hearts ‘formed in charity and solidarity'” and that “love of neighbor may become the true law guiding our decisions.” While charity is indeed the greatest of the theological virtues, the “bishops'” understanding of it is purely naturalistic, devoid of its supernatural foundation. True charity, as St. Thomas Aquinas teaches, is a virtue infused by God, ordered towards God as its ultimate end, and impossible without sanctifying grace.
The “bishops'” call for “spiritual renewal” and “ethical formation” without any mention of the Sacraments, prayer, penance, or the necessity of grace is a hollow echo of the Gospel. It is the “faith” of the modernists, which Pius IX condemned as “the ultimate standard by which man can and ought to arrive at the knowledge of all truths of every kind” (Proposition 4, *Syllabus of Errors*), a “faith” that places human reason and natural effort above divine revelation and supernatural grace.
Pius XI, in *Quas Primas*, stated that “the entire government of public schools… may and ought to appertain to the civil power… so that no other authority whatsoever shall be recognized as having any right to interfere in the discipline of the schools, the arrangement of the studies, the conferring of degrees, in the choice or approval of the teachers” (Proposition 45, *Syllabus of Errors*). The Chilean “bishops'” call for “ethical formation” without demanding that such formation be explicitly Catholic and under the authority of the Church is a capitulation to the very secularism they claim to address.
The Scandal of “Bishops” Who Do Not Shepherd
The “bishops'” lament over “arguments, personal attacks, and vulgar language” among those in power, while understandable from a human perspective, reveals a profound spiritual blindness. They see the symptoms of a godless society but refuse to diagnose the disease: the rejection of God and His law. Their call for “prudence, respect, and integrity” from legislators is a call for natural virtues, utterly insufficient for the salvation of souls or the establishment of a truly just society.
The “bishops” of Chile, like their conciliar counterparts worldwide, have abandoned their sacred duty to preach the whole Gospel, to condemn error, and to demand the submission of all things to Christ the King. They are “blind guides of the blind” (Mt 15:14), leading their flock into the swamp of naturalistic humanism, where “dialogue” replaces doctrine, and “solidarity” replaces sanctity. Their statement is not a call to conversion but a call to accommodation, a surrender to the spirit of the age.
Conclusion: The Remedy is Not Dialogue, but the Reign of Christ the King
The statement from the Permanent Committee of the Bishops’ Conference of Chile is a stark illustration of the spiritual bankruptcy of the post-conciliar Church. It offers natural remedies for supernatural diseases, human solutions for divine problems, and a “dialogue” that excludes the only One who can bring true peace. The “bishops” of Chile, by their silence on the necessity of Christ’s Kingship, the primacy of the supernatural, and the urgency of conversion, demonstrate their complicity in the modernist apostasy that has ravaged the Church and the world.
The true remedy for Chile, and for all nations, is not more “dialogue” or “ethics,” but the humble and complete submission of individuals, families, and states to the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As Pius XI declared, “if men were ever to recognize Christ’s royal authority over themselves, both privately and publicly, then unheard-of blessings would flow upon the whole society, such as due freedom, order, and tranquility, and concord and peace.” Until these “bishops” – and all who follow their modernist path – return to this immutable truth, their pronouncements will remain nothing more than the empty echoes of a faithless age, leading souls further from the only Source of true peace and salvation.
Source:
Chilean Bishops call for ‘a greater ethic of dialogue’ in midst of unrest (vaticannews.va)
Date: 15.05.2026