Mexican archdiocese expresses disappointment in country's electoral laws

Mexico City, Mexico, Aug 3, 2010 / 20:09 pm

An editorial published by the Archdiocese of Mexico City’s news service (SIAME) expressed disappointment over the sanctions imposed against the governor-elect of Sinaloa. The recently elected official invoked the name of God in a public ceremony during his campaign.

The editorial reported that election officials from Mexico’s Justice Department imposed a fine on Sinaloa’s governor-elect, Mario Lopez Valdez, and publicly admonished him for mentioning the name of God during his campaign.

Lopez Valdez said during a meeting: “I will win with the support of the will of the people and of God.” As a result he was fined $2,000.

The archdiocesan editorial stated that, “using childish arguments and guided by prejudice and religious intolerance,” election officials decided “that the politician’s expressions ‘contravened article 130 of the federal constitution and article 117 of the electoral laws of Sinaloa’.”

“The Archdiocese of Mexico City is surprised at the hatred that exists in our country for these kinds of religious manifestations, especially because we are a nation with a majority that is Catholic and believes in God,” the editorial continued. “The Mexican National Anthem itself, which is sung every day at public events, respectfully invokes the name of God.”

The archdiocese also noted that the story made international headlines in the Catholic media because so many find it incredible that in Mexico such an action is considered a punishable crime.