Bishops deplore disruption of Mass in Mexico City Cathedral

Mexico City, Mexico, Nov 7, 2006 / 22:00 pm

The Bishops’ Conference of Mexico has expressed outrage at the actions of radical groups that stormed the Cathedral of Mexico City on Sunday and disrupted the Mass being celebrated by Cardinal Norberto Rivera.

In a statement, the bishops expressed their “concern, outrage and condemnation” at the attitude of “isolated groups of individuals seeking the attention,” showing no respect for the celebration of the Mass and attacking “his Eminence the cardinal and the faithful themselves.”

“In a democracy we all have the right to express our different points of view; to speak of tolerance and inclusion means—in addition to accepting different opinions—respecting the convictions of others and, even more so, when one is preaching in a place designed to congregate the faithful who have the right to be taught by their legitimate pastors,” the statement indicated.

The bishops stressed that Mexico is a country where “cultural diversity is a characteristic of our idiosyncrasy.”  In this sense, the bishops reiterated their “rejection of those who, with intolerant attitudes, have chosen to impose their own ideas and beliefs.”

The bishops also called on “those responsible for the different political and social organizations to ensure that these unfortunate violent events are not repeated, and more so in places designed to proclaim the faith of the Catholic people of Mexico.”