AMERICA/MEXICO - Bishops express their concern for the wave of violence in the country: “The Church, formed by all of us as baptized faithful, cannot and should not remain indifferent in the fight for life.”

Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) – “Our people have the right to live a full life, worthy of God’s children, with more humane conditions: free from the threat of hunger and from all form of violence,” the Bishops of Mexico said in a statement issued by the Permanent Council of the Bishops’ Conference in response to the challenges facing the culture of life. In light of the violence that is characterizing Mexico’s situation at present, the Bishops have seen it their obligation to “foster a culture of life, the marvelous gift that God has given us and that all Catholics, believers, and men of good will should protect and defend.”
According to the Bishops, the main cause for this wave of violence are illegal drugs and in this sense, they recognize the effort made by authorities in fighting this plague and ask all Mexicans to “not remain indifferent,” as “no initiative, program, or operation will be able to eradicate this grave problem if it is not supported by the rest of society.” They also express their interest in “the public audiences organized by the national Supreme Court in relation to unconstitutional behavior against the ruling legalizing abortion up until the 12th week in the Federal District.”
The Bishops mention that “the various arguments presented by different sectors have enriched the debate, in which the common denominator is the concern for life, that of the unborn child and of his mother.”
As Pastors, the Bishops encourage and thank all the faithful for the public demonstrations that are taking place in favor of life, with a petition that these may continue to take place. “We are with you, do not be afraid,” they say, “The Church is called to be defender of justice, defender of the poor and defenseless.”
Another matter that concerns the Bishops is the rise in the cost of basic food items, as a result of the world food crisis. They share in the concern of the people, the majority of whom are poor, farmers, workers, or indigenous peoples, for all the suffering that this implies. “There is a real risk of greater impoverishment, and that the number of starving people increases in our country,” the Bishops say. “This food crisis is definitely the greatest emergency and challenge that the modern world has had to face, and it presents an important and urgent task for authorities and civil society.”
The Prelates say that “only through greater solidarity and care for the most vulnerable will we be able to face the immediate challenges, working to ensure that today’s progress becomes the cornerstone for building a more just and more secure future.” Thus, they invite all Catholics to “show their solidarity with our most defenseless brethren.” “The Church, formed by all of us as baptized faithful, cannot and should not remain indifferent in the fight for life,” the statement concluded.
The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre recently mentioned in a pastoral visit to the Diocese of Tabasco (Mexico) on the 128th anniversary of its establishment, that the problem of violence in the country is a very serious one and in order to resolve it, the Church is working on the path of “formation of Catholics beginning with the family, the community, the parish,” so that they live “according to human and Christian values.” According to the Apostolic Nuncio, in order to face the problem, it is not enough to simply condemn it. Rather, concrete solutions should be sought and the Church can “contribute to this initiative,” keeping in mind that “violence also arises from a lack of values and from poverty.” (RG) (Agenzia Fides 28/5/2008 righe 44, parole 598)