Cardinal Rivera: Mexico takes ‘giant step backward’ when divided

Mexico City, Mexico, Sep 28, 2010 / 14:52 pm

The Archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera said in his homily Sunday for the nation’s bicentennial celebrations that the country must work toward national reconciliation.

“We have always been capable of uniting with one another, and examples abound, our people have advanced and progressed. Whenever we become divided, and the present reality is an example of that, we end up taking a giant step backwards,” he explained.

The cardinal went on to note that “national reconciliation” is an “unfinished task” of politicians and citizens.  “Only from there can we better confront our weak points, the poverty of millions of Mexicans.”

Cardinal Rivera said the bicentennial festivities must not be reduced to fiestas or tributes to history.  “The true celebration should be an occasion to renew our identity as a people, our pride as a nation and our appreciation of the country we have built together, with all of its values, including its profound religiosity and awareness of the transcendence of Jesus Christ,” he added.

The cardinal echoed the statements by the Mexican bishops in their pastoral letter marking the bicentennial, in which they set forth three priorities for the country: “A frontal assault on poverty, quality education and national reconciliation.”