The Archbishop of Canterbury has spent three days in Guatemala, at the start of his visit to Central America. Archbishop Justin and his wife Caroline were greeted on arrival by the Most Reverend Juan David Alvarado Melgar, Primate of the Anglican Church in Central America and Diocesan Bishop of El Salvador, and Rev Ramon Ovalle, Provincial Secretary for the Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America (IARCA).
The Archbishop began the visit by meeting with the President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo. They discussed climate change and its impact on poor communities, as well as reconciliation and sustainability.
Archbishop Justin’s time in Guatemala was primarily an opportunity to worship alongside the Anglican community in the country. On his first full day he led a service of prayer at the Episcopal Cathedral of Santiago Apostol in the capital Guatemala City.
On day two, he visited the town of Balanya, approximately two hours outside of Guatemala City. He preached at a Eucharist for a congregation made up principally of indigenous communities at the Episcopal Church of Santa Cruz del Monte Calvario.
Despite making up half of Guatemala’s population, indigenous communities tend to suffer disproportionately from poverty and malnutrition, with less access to healthcare, educational opportunities and employment.
With much of the region impacted by the mass migration of people towards Mexico and the United States, the Archbishop also visited a Jesuit-run charity in Guatemala City, ‘Casa del Migrante’ (House of the Migrant), which provides help to those passing through, as well as asylum seekers, internally displaced people, deportees, and returnees.
“I sat at the feet of a man who had walked for four months with his family from Venezuela,” said Archbishop Justin. “His young children were holding my hand. My heart was cracking with the grief of a world where this is necessary. But he was in the care of Casa Del Migrante, he was surrounded by love. May God give fruit to this love.”
The delegation also travelled to the central highlands, to the town of Antigua, where they had a tour of the ruins of the Cathedral and learned about its restoration. He worshipped with the Anglican community of St Alban, heard testimonies from members and learned about the mission and outreach work the community does in the local area.
The Archbishop was hosted by the British Ambassador to Guatemala and Honduras, Nick Whittingham at a breakfast where the Archbishop heard from civil society guests about pressing issues for Guatemalans including LGBT rights, climate change, migration and democracy.
