Mexico‘s Catholic Church Draws Fire for Releasing Voting ’Guidelines’
- Posted on February 15, 2012 at 6:56am by
Billy Hallowell
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Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera gestures during Mass at the metropolitan cathedral in Mexico City. (AP)
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Roman Catholic Church drew fire Tuesday for releasing a set of voting “guidelines” for the faithful ahead of the July 1 presidential elections.
All religious groups in Mexico are banned from engaging in electoral politics, or supporting or opposing any candidate or party. The guidelines published by the Archdiocese of Mexico on its web site appear to closely skirt the restriction.
But the issue is a sensitive one in Mexico, where harsh anti-clerical laws sparked the 1926-1929 Cristero war, an uprising by Roman Catholic rebels against Mexico’s secular government in which tens of thousands of people died. While loosened in the 1990s, many restrictions on church activities in Mexico remain.
The latest “pastoral guidelines” do not mention any party, saying only that Catholics cannot “choose as a political option those who support or promote false rights or liberties that attack the teachings contained in the Holy Scriptures, tradition and doctrine of the Church.”
That appeared to be a reference to gay marriage and abortion rights, both of which the church has hotly opposed.
The guidelines also say Catholics “should be alert to the commitments of the candidates and their parties to respect the foremost of all rights, which is the right to life, from the moment of conception.”
The suggestions appear aimed especially at candidates of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, which has enacted both gay marriage and legalized abortion in Mexico City, which it governs.
The publication comes just over a month before Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to visit central Mexico from March 23 to 26.
Pope Benedict XVI (AP)
Bernardo Barranco, an expert at Mexico’s Center for Religious Studies, called the guidelines “a provocation” and said that while they did not appear to violate the letter of the law, it violated the spirit of Article 130 of Mexico’s constitution, which states that “priests and ministers cannot form political associations nor carry out propaganda for any candidate, party or political group.”
“It is written very carefully, very trickily,” Barranco said. “The problem is that it is written in such a way that it does not explicitly violate the law, but implicitly it does.”
It is not the first time church officials have spoken out publicly on political issues.
In 2007, church officials harshly criticized a Democratic Revolution abortion proposal.
And in 2003, two Roman Catholic priests received warnings from the Interior Department not to get involved in politics after a compliant was filed by a small political party. The now-defunct party, Mexico Possible, had accused a total of 13 prelates of cautioning parishioners not to vote for parties that supported abortion or gay rights. Mexico Possible interpreted those statements as a campaign against its own platform.
The church was an integral, often domineering part of Spain’s colonial government of Mexico for nearly 300 years. A liberal backlash in the 19th century led to confiscation of most church property and strict limits on clerics.
Tensions gradually eased and reforms in the 1990s allowed priests to wear clerical garb in public, to vote and to establish openly religious schools, all of which were previously prohibited.
However, debate was reignited in recent months after a group of legislators presented a proposal in congress to further loosen regulations by guaranteeing parishioners the right to celebrate religious events in public, freely use media outlets and guarantee the right of parents’ to give their children a religious education.
Critics say the vaguely worded proposal could open the door to pushing religion into public schools and public affairs.
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Comments (52)
Juniperr
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 10:17pmThe Voters’ Guide for Serious Catholics has been around for years. see:
Report Post »http://shop.catholic.com/home.php?cat=274
The great thing about this country is that each individual can vote according to what he/she believes.
tutilal
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 6:15pm‘But the issue is a sensitive one in Mexico, where harsh anti-clerical laws sparked the 1926-1929 Cristero war, an uprising by Roman Catholic rebels against Mexico’s secular government in which tens of thousands of people died. While loosened in the 1990s, many restrictions on church activities in Mexico remain.”
I think they made a “typo” it was not loosened on the 1990′s. I could been many more years earlier.
Report Post »I went to catholic school; that was in the 50′s. Since the Mexican goverment didnt have enough budget for public schools, they had a deal and let Cathothic Schools open all over the country, to help with education that the goverment couldnt do. There are two to three private schools per neigbhorhood and two are Catholics. So whoever translated the article, should have done some more investigation on it.
I am with the Church. I wouldnt vote here or there; for a party that favors abortion. Because at the end, abortion is not less than MURDER of an inocent little fellow.
My humbLe theroy is, if you dont want to get pregnat; DONT OPEN THE LEGS!!!!! pretty easy, pretty cheap. Only ingredient……..COMMON SENSE!!!!
Byrdi
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 4:09pmChurches should not tell people who to vote. People of faith will vote their conscience.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 6:42pmPeople of Faith will vote their Faith.
Report Post »edmundburk
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 9:53pmit’s called a “voting guideline”, i wish our parrish did that!
Report Post »spirited
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 3:57pmWould it have been less an infraction if “Catholics cannot choose as a political option those who support or promote false rights or liberties that attack the teachings contained in the Holy Scriptures, tradition and doctrine of the Church.”
was preceeded with:
> In the name of Jesus, ….for God’s sake and all people,
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 2:45pmFunny, when the Religious among us revolt against a fascist State they will call it a Religious War.
Yup, the Church will be responsible for millions of deaths, not those wonderful people in DC…
Ready?
Report Post »discus02
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 11:08amObama Lies – America Dies!
Report Post »sallyredneck
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 10:24amChristianity Bad, Islam Good It is everwhere
Report Post »jrfox
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:43amAnd while here at home, gov. creates prayer time for muslims in our schools while they tell christians they have to pay for abortions.
Report Post »Do you see the irony?
1st ‘amendment’ ( actually the first of ten ‘Bill of Rights’), says ” The gov. will make NO LAWS pertaining to religion” But they do it anyway and we sit quietly because we are content and warm.
Read up on the ‘Bill of Rights’. It was written before the constitution, and was used as a set of rules to write the constitution. How can the ‘Bill of Rights’ be called amendments?
It has been slowly, over time, changed.
Walkabout
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:22amA set of beliefs lead to a set of actions.
Churches are about beliefs. Is the church suppose to purposely make their beliefs ambiguous?
If a person does not like the church’s message they can go to another church or no church.
But from someone not going to a church to demand that they not communicate their message is wrong.
The unions communicate their beliefs all the time as talking points. I can go to their union buildings & photograph the words Labor Temple. Am I suppose to conclude that the AFL-CIO is some sort of new fangled religion?
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:50amThese actions are the ‘reactions’ to the fear of a theocratic government, and hence the cause of actions of progressives/liberals everywhere.
The fear of what theocracies have done in the past.
Report Post »jcizarter
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:01amThe Catholic Church can get involved in politics, but the US Fed Gubment should not get involved with the church, that is what my Constitution says.
Report Post »Close down Washington D C for about 4 years and things will absolutely get better.
KAdams
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 1:04pmI’ve entertained the thought, recently, about what would happen if nobody ever voted. Elections were held, but no votes… would people just appear to hold those offices? I wonder…
Report Post »Miyegombo Bayartsogt
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:57amFor 500 years the Catholic Church has been guilty of crimes against humanity throughout Latin America. If genocide has any meaning, then the word describes the fate of the indigenous American population after Christians came converting the continent to heal that corrupt creed. Conquistadors came and killed for gold, Catholics came and killed for Christ. Vast libraries of original American indigenous literature and books were burned by order of the Church — as were countless Indians. Entire civilizations were razed, destroyed, erased forever for foreigners’ faith in Jesus. The Church reigned terror upon the people as good Christians became tools for the conquest and rape and enslavement of the New World. Of course Catholics lust for power and gold still and gladly use their fearful flock for further fleecing. There is no way to view the history of the Church in Mexico as anything more than unending horror show. The poverty-plagued descendents of the first Americans have every right to throw rocks at every pompously dressed priest they see. It is a testament to the power superstition has over these benighted masses that these poor people can’t see who their oppressors really are. You’d think after 500 years of living lives as writhing maggots in carnivorous mud, these people would realize Catholicism is the institution cast them into this ocean of misery and there is going to be no escape until the last of the crass Catholic conquerors is cast back into the sea.
Report Post »zorro
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:30amWow dude. Some Catholic must have done a real number on you to spread such hate and lies. You don’t want to be Catholic? Fine. But spreading this venom only makes you look stupid. You know dang well all the good the Catholic Church has done in a country like Mexico. And if you don’t, you should keep your dumbass comments to yourself.
Report Post »goodgrubguy
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 10:41amThere you go, courtesy of our public schools. It sounds like you could use a little religion. Oh and if you think Islam is going to be better, ask the coptic christians in Egypt what they think.
Report Post »KAdams
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 1:07pmPope* Woops.
Report Post »KAdams
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 1:14pmDisregard above comment. The intended post never posted. (Need more hamsters, Blaze!)
Report Post »conservativewoman
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 1:15pmThe sweet innocent indigenous people were sacrificing at least 20,000 people a year before the Christians came.
Report Post »The bodies were disposed in various ways. Some were fed to animals and many heads were put on display. There were several eye-witness accounts of cannibalism.
The Spaniards were appalled at the horrible spectacle of human sacrifice, and Cortés asked Montezuma to stop. But sacrifice of adults and even children continued, and the Spaniards were awakened each morning by the screams of sacrificial victims.
However, the Conquistadors and the First Audience had done grave damage to their relationship with the native population. It was THE KING OF SPAIN and his appointees who treated the indians as slaves.
The first Bishop of Mexico, Franciscan Friar Juan de Zumárraga, spent much of his first year in Mexico OBJECTING to the ruthless treatment of the Indians.
When our Lady of Guadelupe appeared to Juan Diego in 1531, it led to the conversion of 8 million Aztecs to Catholicism in only 7 years. She APPEARED AS AN INDIAN, NOT SPANIARD! This shows how merciful our Lord is.
Now the Mexican government wants to sacrifice more through abortion, but the Church is standing against it.
dnewton
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 3:04pmThe important thing is that the Catholics never had their conscience violated while they were running the inquisition or conquering South America. The conscience is no reliable indicator of what is universally good because it often is shaped by the culture. Freedom to follow your conscience is highly inconvenient in a multicultural setting. The government Beast will need the Woman who rides it in order to get the credibility that creates cohesion. The Catholic Church is a good candidate for the Woman who rides the Beast. This episode shows that she still lacks the saddle or stirrups.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:55pmdnewton
Married to bhuddhist & have a RCC sibling. Who am I afraid of? the RCC? Church Lady form the SNL skit? No. progressives. Now go the f__k away.
Report Post »yankeeredneck
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:51amReading this gives a chilling reminder of where we are headed in the USA.
Report Post »Miyegombo Bayartsogt
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:16amYeah, the Supreme Court is lousy with Catholics greasing the groves gliding us to doom.
Report Post »zorro
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:31amThere you go again with your hate towards Catholics. Did a priest touch you funny? Were mommy and daddy Catholic but beat your ass on a regular basis? Which was it? I find, with haters and liars of the Church like you, it’s either one or the other.
Report Post »Miyegombo Bayartsogt
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 12:10pmZ: You are right. Countless victims of the Catholic Church’s rape rooms have every right to complain about the pervert priests and their faithless hell. And, too, all those poor souls wracked by a lifetime of fake guilt because those same sex fiends injected into their flock filth under the guise of church doctrine have reason to dislike the chronic corruption at the core of the church. Good people have been so infected with bile in the Lord’s name they never recover. On the other hand, people who were never raped by priests but who read the history of the Inquisition know that for 600 years the Pope sent good, Bible-reading Christians out across Europe in Jesus‘ name to burn alive anyone who didn’t kneel and lick the Pontiff’s soiled sleeve. For centuries, the Pope executed people merely because they believed the Earth rotated around the sun and said so. This is just wrong. Today, even if some Catholics still wanted to, there are far too many people who know the truth about the solar system for a few good Christians to burn them all as the Church did when it had the power. No, the question isn’t why some bash the Catholics. The real question is why, in light of its horrible history, anyone would defend this continuing criminal enterprise.
Report Post »KAdams
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 1:12pmPope John Paul II even apologized for the treatment of Galileo, who was a devout Catholic. Now, why apologize if what you did wasn’t wrong?
Report Post »Pug
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:42amtalking about the right to life, liberty and other human rights is not political…its moral…therefore, allowed to be spoken about from the pulpit. I did not read where the priest spoke about gas prices…wich is political…
Report Post »husssien is allowed to speak at churches on political issues..,.no one stops him. missy dunn speaks at a graduation and compares Mother Theresa whith a stinkin commie that killed millions of people..no one stops her…but let a person speak about moral subjects and he is violating the government rules….
Demo267 should go live in Cuba…or China…or Russia, or give ole Hugo’s country a try…and practice your government controlled religion there…
cemerius
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:27amHmmmm I bet there are a few Democrat politicians looking at Mexico and feeling like writing a few bills similar……..imagine how “redistributing wealth” would look after you confiscated all church property? Legion is alive and well and walking the earth!!!
Report Post »TEE-PAR-TEE
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:24am“The church was an integral, often domineering part of Spain’s colonial government of Mexico for nearly 300 years. A liberal backlash in the 19th century led to confiscation of most church property and strict limits on clerics.”
Looks like liberalism has done wonders for the cesspool that is Mexico.
Report Post »Miyegombo Bayartsogt
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:14amIt would be wrong not to give due credit to the Catholic Church for the squalid condition of its converts.
Report Post »welloddyfriggindah
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:16amThe progressive agenda is global, creating a structure for new levels of ‘unification’ and cooperation between governments, gradually – unless a world crisis creates enough disturbance to allow an overnight takeover. While religious fundamentals stand in their way, Christianity appears to be their only real concern. Hmmmm…
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:22amThat is the core of the matter right there – the progressives are the agents of Satan; the Christians and those drawn by God to his truth are the good guys; ultimately that is the battle between principles, ideals and powers in higher (or lower in the case of Satan) we fight against.
The end game of Gods plan is already well underway, soon enough it will reach its culmination point and come to an end with Him sending His son back for his people.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:15amIt appears that our American , DEMOCRAT Party has much in common with Mexico’s DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION PARTY.
They both allow murder(ABORTION
Both align with drug lords
Both align with splinter minorities
Report Post »KAdams
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 1:10pmI highly doubt that any Mexican political party would side with the American illegal immigrant society of Mexico.
Report Post »NHwinter
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:03amSo many people have been brainwashed into believing what Liberals advocate in the name of personal freedom. It is really bondage to sin and laziness. The Church stands as the guardian of God’s Commandments. God gives us free will, but we pay the price for wrong choices. We need all churches to proclaim God’s word. Government does not have the right to silence God’s word or the guidance we get from the churches.
Report Post »Ssmicheal
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:22amAmen
Report Post »palerider54
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:01amI live in a rural setting, and a new neighbor moved in just up the road a while back. I stopped to welcome him to the area and pretty soon we were talking politics and religion. After I had invited him to my local Church for Wed. nite Bible study ( which he declined) he proceeded to tell me that people like me should not vote our faith, that religion had no place in politics, even though he claimed to be a Christian.
He called it politics from the pulpit. I asked him if he thought a Christian should vote for a candidate that was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage and he proudly stated that he would if that person would promise him more benefits and lower his taxes.
I bluntly stated that Satan would be proud of him and I was glad I found out before we became friends.
Guess he won’t be attending any of our services in the near future.
Report Post »pennsychica
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:49amWell being that neither political party has effectively safeguarded the citizens of Mexico against the violent terroristic goings on of the drug cartels I say they just shut their mouths over what the doctrines of the Catholic Church teach. Sounds to me the church is reaching out to remind it’s followers to vote with their principles. And seeing the attacks against Christianity and Catholicism here in America, where a huge percentage of their population live, I’m sure the church is very concerned. I completely support the message.
Report Post »c.rozycki
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:48amBring politics back into the church… and you will see a Nation greatly restored! History has proven this already. The church used to be the school… The church used to be the City Hall… but government has interfered in all of that. Do I think it’s right the church can “make” their own people vote a certain way? No. That takes away freedom. Christ needs to be the center of all things. Without Him we are nothing, as is seen with what’s becoming of America. The church (body of believers) must rise up!
Report Post »Miyegombo Bayartsogt
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:19amHasn’t Christ done enough damage to the poor Mexicans already?
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 10:00amMIYEGOMBO BAYARTSOGT
Report Post »You might want to read from the Gospels (good news) forward what the Scriptures have to say. Man has mis- interpreted what is there from time to time. Since the Gutenberg press the individual man has had access to God’s word.
SkunkWorks
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:41amThee is something many people in the U.S. do not know and that is the Mexican gov. runs their election and political commercials on U.S. radio air waves. Here in San Diego we have a couple of radio stations that use antennas that broadcast out of Mexico and by Mexican law these radio stations have to play the Mexican national anthem once a day and run political commercials for the Mexican government. You will hear these commercials on this radio station 91.1 or 91X for the locals. Listen to the station online especially on a Sunday morning to hear these commercials.
These commercials are not in Spanish, they are in English. So with that being said these commercials are not for the Mexican citizens that are living in Mexico because Mexicans living in Mexico do not speak or most of all usually do not understand English. Why would Mexicans in Mexico speak English to each other? They are intended for the Mexican citizens living in the U.S. illegally and for the Mexicans with dual citizenship. It’s calling them back home to go vote. That’s just one of the problems.
Report Post »The real problem is when you really listen to these commercials and to what they are saying. I wish I could get a transcript of these commercials to really let you know what is being said. These commercials are full of PROGRESSIVE values. In one of them it says they are for “free immigration”, “ free education”, “free healthcare” ….. the list goes on for a few more “free” progressive ideas during the
SkunkWorks
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:02amhere is some more info on this :
Report Post »http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/survival/article_7c11666a-bc6d-11df-a18d-001cc4c002e0.html
SkunkWorks
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:09amsorry for not putting it all in one post:
Report Post »http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2011/08/29/biz/outlook/ads-a-window-on-mexican-political-culture.html
Fredhead
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:17amComing to America,
Are you now, or have you ever been afilliated with a religious orginization that may affect the way you vote?
Report Post »and if so, in what way?
conservativejon
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:16amgood for the church. its nice to see the church trying to effect change for what it belives.
Report Post »Miyegombo Bayartsogt
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 9:25amIf you believe in misery and poverty and ignorance and violence and criminality and rape and murder, then Church rule has done a fine job in Mexico over the last 500 years. If these things are bad, it may be time to try a solution that doesn’t involve this sordid cabal of Catholic corruption.
Report Post »democritusoilder267
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:12amI dream of the day when the churches and all religion will not control politics and government.
Report Post »BSdetector
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:39amI dream of the day when politics and government will not control the churches and religion. Though I doubt our generation will accomplish that.
Report Post »democritusoilder267
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:42amIn my opinion it is the complete opposite. How many governments today do see controlling churches, or mosque, or synagogues, etc. I mean look at the Republican party. Most, if not all the candidates have put their faith before government and fixing the country.
Report Post »