Monseñor Denied Visa To
Visit U.S.
Like a slap in the face
on the part by the U.S.
government, three Costa
Rican bishops and a
priest have been denied
a visa for travel to the
United States.
On Tuesday, officials of
the Conferencia
Episcopal made an
application on the part
of monseñor Ángel
Sancasimiro and two
other bishops as well as
father Guido Villalta,
for a visit to the U.S.
A U.S. Embassy in Costa
Rica spokesperson told
the church officials
that the documents
presented had to be sent
to the U.S. organization
that was being planned
to visa before a visa
can be approved and that
if the trip was for
reasons other than
stated, the visas would
be denied.
The church officials say
that they feel that the
action taken by the U.S.
government is in
reprisal of the church's
"No" position on the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) - free
trade agreement with the
United States which will
be decided by referendum
on October 7th.
The Catholic church in
Costa Rica has tried to
stay on the sidelines of
the trade issue,
prohibiting church
officials to take sides
and to make commentary,
either way, on the trade
deal. However, it did
authorize the Radio
Fides, the church radio
station, to hold debates
on the TLC, which are
held every Monday.
Church authorities feel
that the United States
is upset on the church's
actions that include
renting the auditorium
of the Conferencia
Episcopal to groups
opposing the TLC,
supported by the fact
that never has the U.S.
denied a visa to an
priest of the Costa
Rican Catholic church.
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