03/13/2024 Mexico (International Christian Concern) — As elections in Mexico approach, Presidential candidates are scrambling to gain the favor of the religious population of Mexico. With three primary candidates left in the race, Claudia Sheinbaum, Xohitl Galvez, and Jorge Alvarez Maynez, the question of how candidates plan to address the issues plaguing Mexico has become vitally important.
Of the approximately 129 million people in Mexico, 78% identify as Roman Catholic, 10% as protestant or evangelical protestant or evangelical protestant, and 1.5% as other religious groups. The constitution of Mexico guarantees freedom of religion, including the right to participate in religious ceremonies or worship.
While the constitution and the broad culture do not indicate persecution, church leaders, particularly that of the Catholic Church, face extreme persecution due to their position as a “moral authority.”
During the rule of outgoing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, two Jesuit Priests were brutally murdered in the north of Mexico, drastically affecting the relationship between the president and the religious community. As a member of the ruling party, Sheinbaum was less critical of Lopez Obrador’s engagement with the religious community, citing several instances of the outgoing president’s fight against violence.
On the contrary, presidential candidate Galvez criticized the response of Lopez Obrador and promised a commitment to peace if elected as president. In her response regarding the treatment of Catholic officials, Galvez said, “I am convinced that the churches, and particularly the Catholic Church, to which I belong, play a fundamental role in building peace…. A problem of this magnitude requires everyone’s participation.”
All three candidates signed on to the document titled “National Commitment to Peace,” which includes strategies to reduce violence in the country.
We pray that the commitment made by the three presidential candidates will come to fruition regardless of the election results. We pray for the Catholic Priests who suffer violence and persecution in a country where they are surrounded by so many of their brothers and sisters. We pray that the Lord would reveal Himself to the people of Mexico through the presidential election and be glorified through the results.
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