Arias makes overture to nation’s bishops
President Óscar Arias Sánchez paid a call on the representative of the Vatican here in San José and also met with local bishops.
The session was seen as a bridge-mending exercise because Arias and the local bishops differ on the topic of the free trade treaty with the United States. The location in Rohrmoser is called the Apostolic Nunciature. Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla represents the Vatican as papal nuncio. Arias lives only a few blocks away.
Arias told the church officials that the only way for Costa Rica to grow and reduce poverty would be to insert its economy into that of the rest of the world, according to a summary by Casa Presidencial. He said that the church was vital to this mission.
Also at the event were Hugo Barrantes, archbishop of San José, and his cabinet, as well as the diplomatic corps. The event was the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul, which the Roman Catholic Church also celebrates as a day of recognition for the pope. The local bishops have expressed concern about the social cost of the free trade treaty.