Mexican bishops say 'Enough!' to violence

After reflecting on insecurity and violence in the country at their 88th Plenary Assembly, the Bishops of Mexico issued a final document in which they expressed their concern for the sentiments that "many Mexicans" experience in the face of this panorama of violence. The bishops describe a very concrete reality being experienced by Mexico: "We are shocked, and we are moved to act by the sight of the bloodshed: the aborted child, women killed, victims of kidnappings, robberies and extortions, the blood of those killed in a clash between gangs, those who have died in the fight against organized crime and those who were executed with cold and inhumane cruelty.

In the concluding document of the Assembly, the bishops say: "What moves us to show solidarity and express hope is the pain, anguish, uncertainty and fear of all Mexicans who have experienced the loss of loved ones in recent years." The Bishops also expressed their sadness as, in their pastoral experience with the various sectors of the Mexican population, they perceive that "instead of indignation and disapproval, what is beginning to flourish in the hearts of many Mexicans is anger, hatred, resentment, desire for revenge and justice taken into one's own hands."

"Man is the battlefield of opposing tendencies, one towards the humanization of the other toward the dehumanization," the statement said. Faced with this reality, the Bishops consider it their duty to encourage the hope of those who live in fear, anguish and indignation, and thus they invite the representatives of the Mexican government to seek "true justice" and to overcome corruption. The government must punish, they said, drug trafficking and money laundering. They ask all Mexicans to become responsible for each other and to remain united, as "Unity will make us strong and protect us." They conclude the document calling for courage in the words of Jesus: "Have courage, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33.)

Links:
Complete document from Bishops of Mexico in Spanish http://www.fides.org/spa/documents/ConferenciaEpiscopadoMexicano_12112009.doc