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19 years after the tragedy, they held a mass in memory of the victims of Cro-Mañón

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The mass was concelebrated by the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge García Cuerva, and by Monsignor Jorge Lozano and the priests Pancho Vello, César Femia and Nicolás Viel

December 30, 2004 was marked in the collective memory by the Cro-Magnon tragedythe nightclub fire in which 194 young people died who had gone to see a concert by the band Strays. 19 years after the tragic event, a mass was celebrated in the Buenos Aires Cathedral in honor of the victims, whose homily was given by the archbishop of Buenos Aires, José Ignacio García Cuerva.

The day was full of activities, promoted by different organizations, which were based in the Obeliskhe Eleven Sanctuarybordering the former dance club, May Plazathe Cathedral of Buenos Aires and at the station Tapiales of the Belgrano South Line.

The mass was promoted by the Cro-Mañón Movement, which began the day around 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary and continued with the ceremony that began around 6 p.m., which included the homily of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, José Ignacio García Cuerva. The ceremony was sponsored by Monsignor Jorge Lozano and the priests Pancho Vello, Caesar Femia and Nicolas Viel.

At mass, the parable of Simeonbelonging to the gospel of Lukewhich tells of the moment when an old man who was in the temple told the Virgin Mary that “a sword will pierce her heart.”

During the homily, the archbishop reflected: “Here we gather again with a sword that has pierced our hearts 19 years ago; a sword that continues to cause deep pain, a pain that we do not want to anesthetize with other news, or distract behind some media or showbiz scandal. “It is a sharp sword of injustice, it is a sharp sword of sadness, it is a sharp sword of anger and impotence.”

During the mass they read the gospel of Luke which tells the parable of Simeon

“We want so much pain to be fruitful, to have some meaning. Mothers, fathers, brothers, friends and victims of that tragedy, I allow myself to say that they are “uncomfortable witnesses” for a society that, sometimes, wants to forget or hide that wound that is a social crime, an open wound in the city that continues bleeding in their streets and in the lives of so much,” he expressed, speaking directly to the relatives of the deceased.

For this reason, he added: “Their testimony cries out for a society that is a supportive mother like those who entered and left the bowling alley several times to rescue those who were inside and died of asphyxiation.” However, he made a harsh criticism of society by saying: “It seems that we do not learn more” before mentioning the reasons that lead adolescents to death: “Suffocated by exclusion and violence, by drug consumption, by hunger and human trafficking.”

Thus, he took the gospel to highlight the hope that the old man had and ask the relatives of the deceased to “continue to be light, do not allow the darkness of horror to extinguish their lives.” “As the city of Buenos Aires, and as Argentines, we need you very much. Their lives and those of the 194 brothers who were victims of the tragedy are a cry to heaven against impunity and resignation,” he said.

To end the homily, the primate archbishop of Argentina chose a poem to close his message, in whose verses the phrase stands out: “Don’t give up.”

What happened in Cro-Magnon shocks to this day. That night began as a normal recital, but from one moment to the next everything changed. A flare thrown into the closed space of the Once bowling alley ignited the half-shade made of polyethylene – a very flammable material – that covered half of the ceiling. On top of it, glued to the concrete, were 2.5 centimeters thick polyurethane foam rubber sheets, made of isocyanate and polyoxypropylene. The flames took control of the place in a matter of minutes.

Everyone ran for their lives, but in Cro-Magnon nothing was legal: the emergency exits were blocked with fences and the secondary escape was closed. The only way to escape was the front door.

The experts concluded that the main cause of the deaths was the polyurethane in the foam rubber used to soundproof the bowling alley, from which an acid deadly to humans was released. 194 people died and more than 1,400 were injured. For Justice, the criminal responsibility for the tragedy fell on Omar Chaban, Rafael Levy and Streets.



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