AMERICA/MEXICO - The Church convenes a National Dialogue for Peace in view of a viable proposal to the authorities and the country

Tuesday, 4 April 2023 peace dialogue violence politics social situation local churches

MEXICO

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Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - "In order to collect all the possible contributions for peace in justice and to make a viable proposal to our authorities and to the country, we have convened the National Dialogue for Peace, which will take place from 21 to 23 September at the Ibero-American University of Puebla, with the aim of developing a National Agenda for Peace and articulating local peace initiatives". This is announced in the message "to the Mexican people" signed by the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious of Mexico (CIRM), the Mexican Province of the Society of Jesus and the Episcopal Dimension of Faith and Laity.
The text of the message, sent to Fides, recalls in the first place the murder of the Jesuit fathers Javier Campos and Joaquín Mora, which occurred in the Sierra Tarahumara in June 2022 (see Fides, 22 and 24/6/2022), who is added " to the long list of innocent martyrs who lost their lives in the country, thus representing an emblematic case of the violence and social breakdown in which we live".
This criminal act denotes "the blindness of those who feel almighty with a weapon, the institutional corruption and impunity that have allowed the escalation of crime and the loss of community systems capable of regulating behavior".
The fact that the principal responsible for the assassination of the two Jesuit priests has been found dead "shows that the territories are governed by criminal economies resulting from the negligence of the government at all levels, that the problem of insecurity prevails in the Sierra Tarahumara and throughout the country, and that there is therefore an urgent need to review the justice and security system, as requested by many qualified voices of civil society, given the indolence of the political authorities and the lack of results in the government's strategies".
The signatories of the message emphasize that these criminal dynamics "endanger social coexistence, democracy, the economy, the environment and well-being in the territories", hence the urgency of "in-depth reflection in within the framework of a dialogue including all sectors of society". This grave situation also challenges the Church to work with others to build conditions of peace. "It is time to bring together specialists, to learn local best practices, to listen to the victims, the indigenous peoples, the migrants, to take into account those who have succeeded in keeping the crime rate low in the territories, the Churches, and those participating in peace talks and justice and security forums.”
In order to promote the construction of peace, the Church in Mexico is carrying out several initiatives: monthly prayer on the third Sunday of the month (see Fides, 27/3/2023); the digital platform "Turn on a light for Mexico" praying for the missing brothers and sisters and tells their stories of pain and hope; participation in peace talks and justice and security forums. Added to this is now the convening of the National Dialogue for Peace next September.
"Violence puts us before the crucified Jesus to denounce all human injustices", underlines the message, citing the recent tragedy of the migrant brothers who died in the fire in Ciudad Juárez (see Fides 30/3/2023), because of "the irresponsible omission by the authorities". "Jesus himself invites us to place our trust in the strength of God that is born of pain and tears - concludes the message -, to walk with the communities and to imagine horizons of hope in the resurrection. May this Holy Week be an opportunity to look at our reality from the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, to transform so many deaths into a community call to work for peace and justice in the different territories". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 4/4/2023)