Bishop recalls role of Mary of Guadalupe in Mexican independence

Mexico City, Mexico, Sep 16, 2010 / 11:57 am

Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Sanchez Martinez of Durango invited the faithful of Mexico this week to pray for their country as they celebrate its bicentennial. He also urged them to remember the important role that Our Lady of Guadalupe played in Mexico’s independence.

“The Catholic Church actively participated in a leading role in all of these events, as the most prominent initiators and protagonists were members of the clergy and the majority of the people were Catholic,” the bishop noted in a recent article.

He added that while September 16 is not the anniversary of Mexico’s independence, but rather the beginning of the rebellion, in celebrating it, we cannot ignore the role of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the origin of the national identity of Mexicans.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe was the inspiration behind the fathers of Mexican independence and, 100 years later, during the Mexican Revolution, the bishop said. She “presided over the birth of our nationality … She is also the emblem and bond of our national unity,” he continued.

Bishop Sanchez said the bicentennial celebrations are an occasion for uniting together “in reflection about our history, under the light of the faith.”

“Let us hold a week of prayer for the country, to especially give thanks for the gifts we have received through these societal events, and to pray intensely for the urgent needs of Mexico at this time in her history,” the prelate concluded.