AMERICA/MEXICO - The Church for the defense of human rights: the Secretary of CEM at the Chamber of Deputies

Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - "What does the Catholic Church do in Mexico today in favor of the dignity of the human person and the rights that derive from it?" Mgr. Alfonso Miranda Guardiola yesterday answered this and other questions on the subject, Auxiliary Bishop of Monterrey, Secretary General of the Mexican Bishop’s Conference (CEM), in his presentation to the Mexican Chamber of Deputies.
Accepting the invitation of the Commission on Human Rights, the Bishop in his report, sent to Fides, identified first of all the fundamental elements in order to understand the relationship between the Catholic Church and the commitment to the defense of human rights, and therefore indicated current challenges, drawn from the pontifical magisterium. Moving on to the Mexican reality, he recalled that, according to CEM’s National Observatory, there are 20 Human Rights Centers (religious, parish and diocesan) operating in the States of Mexico, Coahuila, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tabasco, Tlaxcala and Quintana Roo.
These Centers for the promotion and defense of human rights are part of the 2,466 social works of the Catholic Church in Mexico, which include, among others: 35 listening and reception centers for victims of violence, 119 homes for migrants, 34 centers for children and women living in the street, 8 service centers for relatives of missing persons, 97 commitment groups for prisoners and inmates, etc. "Thousands of lay people, men and women religious and priests collaborate daily so that this great social work of the Church becomes Love and justice in action", the Bishop pointed out.
The Secretary of CEM then recalled that, as expressed in the Global Pastoral Project, among the options identified by the Mexican Bishops, different pastoral commitments emerge which show a transversality of the priority that the defense and promotion of human rights mean for the Church. These commitments are: 1. Create spaces for meeting, dialogue and work with other protagonists of society, to collaborate in the reconstruction of the dignity of people and the social fabric of the country.
2. Discuss and collaborate with civil society and national and international organizations to build peace. 3. Support the establishment of centers for human rights in Christian communities, in order to strengthen the rule of law. 4. Welcome with charity, accompanying, defending rights and integrating migrants who transit or wish to remain in Mexico. 5. Promote women's leadership and wider participation of women in the life of the Church according to genuine respect for their dignity. 6. Identify and accompany vulnerable groups in society. 7. Create support centers for the integral development of people, giving impetus to economic promotion through community and solidarity work.
"These pastoral commitments that are operative in the 95 dioceses of our country, represent a commitment to strengthen, diversify and increase the social work of the Church that promotes and defends human dignity - the Bishop concluded -. It is not an easy task. It requires constant motivation, leadership, follow-up and synergy with the various institutions". Finally, Mgr. Miranda Guardiola reiterated: "The Catholic Church will be faithful to Jesus Christ and to his Gospel if, and only if, it commits himself more and more every day to the defense of the dignity and rights of every human being". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 24/4/2019)

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