Mexican bishops urge new president to address violence, defend life

Puebla, Mexico, Nov 14, 2024 / 16:40 pm

The first meeting between Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s new president, and the country’s Catholic bishops took place on Nov. 13. Among the topics discussed were “the defense of life at all stages” and “the violent situation that affects various regions of the country.”

The meeting took place in the context of the 117th Plenary Assembly of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym), which is taking place Nov. 11–15 at conference headquarters in Casa Lago, located in the town of Cuautitlán in Mexico state. 

According to a statement published by the CEM, the prelates held a “frank and constructive dialogue” with Sheinbaum — a member of the left-wing MORENA party — who took office on Oct. 1, succeeding Andrés Manuel López Obrador, founder of MORENA (National Regeneration Movement).

Given the violent situation in various parts of Mexico, the bishops addressed the need to promote “building peace” and asked Sheinbaum to “build bridges of dialogue that promote national unity, an indispensable element to achieve the peace and integral development that our country yearns for.”

In this context, the bishops recognized the federal government’s efforts to address the social causes of violence but emphasized the need to implement “more effective strategies for the disarmament of crime gangs and the protection of our communities.”

According to the report “MX: La Guerra en Números” (“Mexico: The War in Numbers”) prepared by T-ResearchMX, since Sheinbaum took office Oct. 1 there have been 3,175 homicides in the country. Her predecessor’s six-year term ended with 199,621 homicides, making it the most violent six-year administration in Mexico’s modern history.

In addition to asking Sheinbaum to guarantee “security in our communities,” the bishops expressed their concern for “the poverty that afflicts so many brothers.” The prelates also called for “helping searching mothers in their tireless work and guaranteeing access to spiritual care for hospital patients.”

“Searching mothers” is the name given to mothers searching for family members who have disappeared in recent decades and may be buried in clandestine mass graves. According to the Ministry of the Interior, from 1952 to Nov. 13 of this year, 117,990 persons have gone missing and have never been found.

Another point highlighted in the dialogue between the bishops and the president of Mexico was the “unwavering commitment” of the Catholic Church to the “defense of life in all its stages and the dignity of the human person.”

The bishops also emphasized the importance of “strengthening the rule of law” and “preserving the balance between the nation’s branches of government.”

As the bishops have pointed out on various occasions, the judicial reform promoted by the López Obrador government, and continued by Sheinbaum, is a concern for the Church in Mexico. In October, the CEM urged the authorities “not to put at risk the balance of powers that sustains our democratic structure.”

In terms of education, the bishops expressed their willingness to collaborate in the “integral formation of the new generations” and asked that the national educational system be “inclusive of all sectors involved and recognize the diverse dimensions of the human being.”

Sheinbaum thanked the CEM on X for the invitation to “discuss building peace and the development of the country among all sectors.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.