VATICAN CITY — After nearly two weeks of massive protests in the
fallout of scandals involving corruption and offensive private messages, Gov.
Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico resigned from office, becoming the first
governor to do so in the island's history.
In a Facebook Live video message broadcast late July 24, Rossello
spent nearly 10 minutes touting his accomplishments before acknowledging that
remaining as governor "would endanger the successes we have
achieved."
"I announce that I will be resigning as governor, effective
Friday, Aug. 2, 2019," Rossello said, causing hundreds of thousands of
Puerto Ricans lining the streets outside his residence to erupt in cheers.
Wanda Vasquez, the Puerto Rican Secretary of Justice, is expected
to serve the remainder of Rossello's term until elections in November 2020.
However, distrust in members of Rossello's administration have led to doubts as
to whether she would take the reins. Additionally, in a statement released
after Rossello's announcement, Vasquez said she would assume the office
"if necessary."
The day before Rossello announced his resignation, the president
of the Puerto Rican bishops' conference said the actions of the governor and
his administration were the final straw for residents of the U.S. commonwealth
who have suffered through years of financial mismanagement, corruption and the
devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service July 23,
Bishop Ruben Gonzalez Medina of Ponce said the massive protests in the island's
capital, San Juan, were "a manifestation of the people and their outrage,
as well as their exhaustion from having been 'cogido de bobos' ('taken for
idiots')."
The July 10 arrest of two former senior officials of Rossello's
administration who were charged by the FBI with corruption, as well as the release
of offensive text messages between the governor and his staff, have left Puerto
Ricans questioning "what kind of a person do we have leading our
people."
"This was all a time bomb and it exploded," he said.
Rossello faced an onslaught of criticism after the Center for
Investigative Journalism published nearly 900 pages of private chats July 11
between the governor and his staff in which they make light of the victims of
the 2017 hurricane as well as make several violent, homophobic and misogynistic
remarks aimed at political and public figures.
Although Rossello said he would not seek reelection and no longer
lead his party, his refusal to resign sparked further outrage, causing hundreds
of thousands of Puerto Ricans to march in protest July 22 to "La
Fortaleza," the governor's mansion.
Despite the indignation and anger felt by his compatriots, Bishop
Gonzalez said that he was impressed by the unity and respect felt at an event
"that was not organized by a specific group but rather a reality that
began among the people."
The bishop attended the protest, along with Bishop Eusebio Ramos
Morales of Caguas, secretary of the bishops' conference. Archbishop Roberto
Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan, he said, was "unable to attend because he is
still recovering from surgery."
"The words that I heard the most were, 'Thank you for being
with us; thank you for being present,'" Bishop Gonzalez recalled. "We
are not the protagonists of these protests, we are not going there with a flag
that says, 'Here is the bishop. We are Catholics.'"
Instead, he said, the presence of the bishops at the protest was
meant to accompany Puerto Ricans who are rediscovering values that "the
church has proclaimed and that has been sown into the hearts of men and
women."
The unity shared among all men and women on the Caribbean island,
he added, is a commitment to "establishing a better Puerto Rico."
The bishops of Puerto Rico not only want to accompany people by
participating in the protests, but also through prayer, Bishop Gonzalez added.
Catholics across the island will gather July 26 for a day long
prayer service titled, "24 hours with Jesus praying for peace in Puerto
Rico." The event, which he said was inspired by Pope Francis' "24
hours with the Lord" Lenten initiative, will take place at the National
Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Providence in San Juan.
Additionally, every diocese will hold similar events in local
parishes for those unable to travel to the national shrine, the bishop said.
Nevertheless, Bishop Gonzalez said that true change can only come
if Rossello listens and accepts the growing demand for his resignation by those
he was elected to serve.
Rossello, he added, had lost "the trust of the people."
The bishop questioned whether the governor was fit "to lead a dialogue if
nobody wants to listen to him, not even members of his own party."
The bishop, like most people, felt Rossello's resignation was
necessary.
"Forgiveness is one thing, and no one is opposed to
forgiving him," he said. "But he must also realize that actions have
consequences, and one of those consequences is that the people have lost trust
in him. This is what the people are asking. How are they going to be governed
by someone whom they can't trust?"