THE Mexican bishops’ conference issued an impassioned plea for peace and an end to the bloodshed in a country consumed with the crisis of 43 teacher trainees allegedly captured by crooked cops, killed by organised crime and burned.
“With sadness we recognise that the situation of the country has worsened” – since 2010, when the bishops published a pastoral letter on violence – “unleashing a true national crisis,” the bishops said on November 12 during their semi-annual planning sessions in suburban Mexico City.
“Many people live subjected to fear, finding themselves helpless against the threats of criminal groups and, in some cases, the regrettable corruption of the authorities.
Ordinary Mexicans have taken to the streets, condemning the crimes committed against the students and the apparent collusion between criminals and the political class in parts of the country.
The bishops lent their support to peaceful demonstrations, which often have been led by students, and called for a day of prayer on December 12, when millions of Mexicans celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“In our vision of faith, these acts make it evident that we have distanced ourselves from God,” the bishops said.
“In the midst of this crisis, we see with hope the awakening of civil society, which as never before in recent years has protested against corruption, impunity and the complicity of some authorities. We believe it is necessary to proceed from protests to proposals.”
The protests and outrage are among the strongest in recent years and reflect anger with the ongoing insecurity in the country.
“It was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Jesuit Father Conrado Zepeda, who celebrated Mass on November 4 at the Jesuit-run Iberoamerican University for students and four family members of the missing, said.
“It has to do with the young, students, the poor, people unable to defend themselves being attacked in this way. This is why civil society has revolted.”
CNS
