Pope hails Paraguayan women for resolve

CAACUPE, Paraguay – Pope Francis Saturday praised the women of Paraguay who, as the “lifeblood” and “keepers of the memory,” resuscitated a country devastated by war.

It was the pope’s second reference to the War of the Triple Alliance, a 19th-century conflict considered one of the deadliest in Latin American history and one that still informs Paraguayan identity.

At least 70 percent of Paraguay’s male population was killed, and the nation would have ceased to exist if not for the perseverance of women, historians say.

“Then and now, you found the strength not to let this land lose its bearings,” Francis said, addressing the women of Paraguay. “God bless your perseverance, God bless and encourage your faith, God bless the women of Paraguay, the most glorious women of America.”

He spoke at Paraguay’s most important Catholic shrine, in Caacupe.

In contrast to the pope’s portrait of the “glorious” women of Paraguay, however, the country has high rates of violence against women and unwanted teenage pregnancies.

Roughly 20 percent of Paraguayan women reported abuse by partners in a 2014 World Health Organization study, and of those, nearly half reported getting pregnant against their will.

Still, the pope’s message resonated with an enthusiastic audience numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The War of the Triple Alliance pitted Paraguay against a powerful coalition formed by Brazil, Uruguay and the pope’s native Argentina.

It may be that to hear an Argentine pope acknowledge Paraguay’s suffering was especially significant.

Outside the Caacupe sanctuary and basilica, Paraguayans of all ages filled the streets and a nearby plaza. They spoke Guarani among themselves and then watched in silence as Francis said Mass in Spanish, then took communion from priests who spread out among the crowd.

Portions of the Mass were said in Guarani, the official language of the small, landlocked country.

Paraguay is officially the most Catholic country in South America and one of the most conservative.

It has been ruled by the same Colorado Party for most of its modern history, with the exception of a brief period when Ricardo Lugo, a former priest, was president until unseated in an impeachment process that neighboring countries labeled a coup.