Vatican Transfers Bishop From Chiapas

The Vatican transferred the presumed successor to a retiring bishop in the Mexican state of Chiapas but said the move did not signal any lessening of the Roman Catholic Church’s commitment to justice in a diocese where rebels have been battling for Indian rights. Bishop Raul Vera Lopez had been serving in San Cristobal de Las Casas as assistant to Bishop Samuel Ruiz, who was known for his defense of Indian rights. Vera was in line to take over, but the Vatican said that he was being sent to Saltillo in Mexico’s Coahuila state. Vera was given the Chiapas post in 1995, presumably to counterbalance Ruiz. But Vera surprised church officials by often siding with Ruiz.