Mexico City, Mexico, May 18, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The Bishops’ Conference of Mexico issued a statement this week calling on voters to participate in the country’s political life and to make the upcoming July 2 elections a celebration of democracy.
“Our country needs to strengthen democracy and our institutions and take a step forward in achieving the structural reforms required for the authentic development of all Mexicans. In order for this to happen voters need to fulfill their civic obligations: compare the proposals of the candidates and the political platforms of the parties in order to later conscientiously participate at the voting booth,” the statement indicated.
The bishops also called on candidates to safeguard the dignity of the election process. “To neglect this ethical imperative is to weaken society in general,” they warned.
The bishops reminded Catholics that “all believers have the immediate and inexcusable duty to contribute towards a just ordering of society” and to assume their proper role in the field of politics as an expression of “social charity.”