Credit where due: Church warns against global warming

Few non-catholics have a higher opinion of Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera than I, and I regard him a generally venomous, misogynistic, gay-bating, child-rapist protecting bigot.

Yet in the most recent Desde la Fe, the publication of his archdiocese of Mexico City, Rivera, in addition to the usual trite admonitions to fight poverty from an ultra-conservative institution, warned against the effects of man-made global warming, noting that the negative fallout of rising temperatures - above all natural disasters - tend to strike particularly the poorest of the poorest far harder than the rest of the population.

Credit where credit's due, cardinal.

Source: 

Urge clero a combatir la pobreza. El Universal, May 28, 2012.

18 disgraceful years of Sandoval Íñiguez come to end

He did a disservice to Mexicans through spewing hatred against women, gays, political parties, and Mexican political institutions. He did a disservice to Roman Catholicism, his religion, by acting as a caricature of so many of the evils the church has been criticized for: intolerance, narrow mindedness, misogyny, homophobia, downright authoritarianism, and so much more.

This weekend, Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez of Guadalaja held his last mass. He will be officially replaced by José Francisco Robles Ortega in a week.

To this protector of pedophiles and belittler of rape ("the women provoked them"):
Good riddance, and I hope we will never hear from you for the rest of your life.

More posts here.

Pope Benny 16 to Mexico in March

The catholic church confirms it: Pope Benedict 16 will visit Mexico over three days this year, March 23-25. He  will not come to Mexico City - due to its location (thin air, pollution), but rather Guanajuato. Or perhaps, out of desire to avoid meeting with mayor Marcelo Ebrard, whom major figures in the church a while ago threatened to excommunicate from the catholic church due to the legalization of gay unions and abortion in the city.

He will also meet with President Calderón - expect the governing PAN to subtly or not so subtly use the visit for all its worth ahead of the 2012 election.

Then, he's off to Cuba. That could get far more interesting from a political point of view: Will he follow the lead of Pope John Paul II to condemn the blockade, and also call for democracy?

Ye of no faith: From 3.5 to 4.6 percent the last decade

While the percentage of Mexicans who define themselves as catholic has dropped from 88 to 83.9 percent the past decade, according to the Mexican census, many of these have simply switched religions, in particular to Pentecostalism. Notably in states such as Chiapas, Campeche, and Tabasco, the percentage of catholics is as low as 59.5-64.1-65.6 percent respectively.

Yet also one sign of human progress: Those who deny living by magic writings handed down from heaven on high during the Bronze age, or of any kind, rose from  3.5 to 4.6 percent .

Homosexuality a disease, says bishop of Celaya, Guanajuato. Now we know.

The great enlightened bishop of Celaya, Benjamin Castillo Plascencia, informs us that he is, of course, not homophobic, but rather cares so much for his fellow beings that he just can't keep his profound knowledge of gay issues to himself:

"It has nothing to do with homophobia. I just cannot accept that a sick person is sick; it hurts me that the person is sick, and I can hardly accept this. One must accept this sickness, and fight to overcome it."

And the final clincher: Why have anyone contracted this terrible disease, then? Well, it's because they have "stories related to abuses."

Thank heavens we have chaste men like Benjamin Castillo Plascencia to help care for these sick people and spread his, albeit non-scientific, but undoubtedly profound, knowledge of gay matters.

Church to PRD: Stop lawsuits, then we'll talk.

You really do get much further with a smile and a gun than with a smile alone, as Al Capone noted.
The PRD, after a series of vicious political attacks from the Catholic Church, finally launched a series of lawsuits, which clearly has worried the church. The most recent sign: Armando Martínez Gómez, legal representative of Cardinal Norberto Rivera (and, I assume, Hugo Valdemar, whom IFE recently found to have broken the law), said the church would be willing to talk with the PRD, but only if the party drops its lawsuits.

PRD's new national president, Jesús Zambrano, said he was willing to talk with Cardinal Rivera, but that the PRD would not retract the suits. Given the escalation of the church's rhetoric the past years - calling PRD fascists, an enemy of the faith, etc - PRD's conclusion seem to be that with the catholic high clergy, you do not get very far with a smile alone.

More on cristianos and catholics: Quality, not quantity?

Elio Masferrer Kan,  head of the Asociación Latinoamericana para el Estudio de las Religiones, argued that INEGI's figures on religious adherents are wrong and that catholics make out not 83.9, but 82.72 percent. Big deal, you might tell yourself - and that would in any case be pretty much what Manuel Corral of the catholic Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano seemingly responded:


"[Corral] minimized the decline of Catholics in the country. He said that what matters most to the Catholic Church is the quality of the faithful rather than the quantity (!)


What on earth does that even mean?

Ignorance and Cowardice: Hugo Valdemar and the sorrow state of Mexican high clergy

Found guilty by the Federal Electoral Tribunal (IFE) in having broken Mexican law, Hugo Valdemar, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Mexico, said he would impugn IFE's resolution, yet in the process exposing himself again as an ignoramus and a coward.

* Ignorant, for demanding "complete freedom of expression," when the issue at stake is rather that Valdemar has repeatedly referred to the PRD as a "fascist" party and called on the faithful to vote against it.
* Cowardly, for on the one hand claiming freedom of expression, but in the next breath declare that IFE misread him and that he didn't really say the things IFE documented he had said.

What a pitifully sorrow  intellectual and moral state of the high clergy of the Archdiocese of Mexico - Hugo Valdemar, and his boss and protector of pederasts, Norberto Rivera.

If only there were a Samuel Ruiz or Raúl Vera to take the place of these reactionaries, who make pope Ratzinger look like a liberal.

Fewer christians, more cristianos in Mexico

The percentage of what Mexicans call cristianos, meaning everything from mainstream protestant christians to evangelicals and snake-charming pentecostals, is rising:

Twenty years ago,  the percentage of non-catholic christians was 4.9; this figure has now risen to 7.6 percent, according to INEGI figures,  apparently to the detriment of the catholics, who now make out 83.9 as compared to 89.7 in 1980. That is at least the gist in this interesting El Universal article on the subject: They are simply better at the recruitment of new followers (or invest more man power: There are now almost two non-catholic pastors for every catholic priest, or around 21,000 to 40,000, according to the interior ministry).

From what I gather, this development also applies to other countries in Latin America, particularly in Central America, though I have also anecdotal evidence from Argentina: When I was doing field work for my doctoral dissertation there, my ninety-something old neighbor in Barrio Norte (where I happened to live in an apartment that belonged to the Guevara family) for months insisted on 1) helping me clean my kitchen, although she had never set foot inside, and 2) talking about her evangelical church, which I occasionally endured as she would now and then keep my interest by throwing in a Che (whom she referred to as el asesino) anecdote.

Don Samuel Ruíz: The "miracle" is that he lived to die of natural causes at 86

Don Samuel Ruíz: A wonderful and thoughtful obituary, of sorts, by Laura Carlsen of the CIP Americas Program, that also touches on a most uncomfortable truth, given the onslaught of popes John Paul II and Benedixt XVI on liberation theology and the progressive gains of the Vatican II, of which Samuel Ruíz was a participant: With the most honorable exception of Raul Vera, bishop of Saltillo, Coahuila, how many of the progressive catholics remain in the upper echelons of the church? To me it seems sadly to be very few, given its rightward turn the past two decades or so.

Archdiocese of Mexico thrilled with apprehension of Santa Muerte priest

The archdiocese of Mexico, represented by mullah Hugo Valdemar, expressed its deep satisfaction that David Romo Guillén, bishop of the Santa Muerte cult, was apprehended, dismissing it as the "patron saint of killers, drug dealers, custodians, thieves, kidnappers, prostitutes, police and extortionists," which it very much is.

Unlike the Archdiocese of Mexico, which if not in name, in practice to be sure is the patron saint of child raping pedophiles.

Clever response from PRD's secretary genera to church: Listen to your boss

The PRD's second in command, Secretary General Hortensia Aragón, in response to the Mexican Church's recent outrageous statements, pointed out to Norberto Rivera that his nominal boss, Pope Benedict XVI, on numerous and recent occasions has called for "social peace." This, in contrast to the Mexican branch of the franchise, which loudly declared it would break its "truce" with Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard and the Mexico City legislature. Why don't you listen to your superior, Norberto?

Yet the point is exactly that: Ratzinger, for all his flaws - and there are many - is somewhat of a "centrist," a traditionalist, while the like of Norberto Rivera, like many in the Mexican hierarchy, belongs to the most ultra conservative and virulently demagogic layers of the catholic church. Rivera brings shame upon the many clergymen and women in Mexico whose commitment to social justice and doing good is unquestionably genuine. They deserve a better cardinal than Norberto Rivera.

Legionaries of Christ, that of child rapist Marcial Maciel, turn 70; Mexican Church ends truce

After a brief Christmas "truce" (the church´s own word), the Mexican Catholic Church is again on the attack, in the process sounding like a prepubescent, immature 11-year old. From its organ Desde La Fe, the Mexican Catholic Church, among the world´s most reactionary and historically anti-democratic, comes the following: The Mexico City government and/or the Mexico City Legislature (the Church never seems to be able to distinguish fully between the two) are "true secular Talibans," and

"individuals intolerant to criticism, fundamentalists in their immoral principles, incapable of accepting the challenge of dialogue with rationality and law."

A better description of the Mexican Church, rather than the Mexico City government, is hard to come by. The Freudian reference here is just too tempting to resist.

But today is also another important day for the Church: The Legionaries of Christ/Legion of Christ is turning 70 years today. Los Legionarios de Cristo, to recall, was founded by whom?
a) A fascist
b) A child raper
c) An incestuous pedophile raping his own childen
d) A morphine junkie
e) All of the above.

You got it: All of the above. Marcial Maciel founded the Legionaries in 1940, yet his name has brought shame to his native Michoacán ever since the scandals involving his habitual raping of children and teenage boys, which even included his own children - yes, he fathered several, though never accepted paternity - really became known to the wider public in 2000.

Yet back to the Mexican Church. I am currently reading the absolutely marvelous and fresh-off-the press book "Marcial Maciel: The Story of a Criminal" by Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui. I am not done with it yet, but it appears absolutely stunning, and well worth your time and money. Among the key testimonies in this book, a key conclusion is drawn that while Marciel Maciel was a sick and evil man - he never asked for forgiveness, manipulating his victims into believing they were doing god´s will - an even bigger story is that ever since the 1950s, stories abounded, including letters to the Vatican, detailing the abuses of Maciel, yet they were constantly ignored, for a half century, by both the Vatican and the Mexican Church. Indeed, two of the individuals who come out the worst are exactly Norberto Rivera, head of the Mexican Church, who defended Maciel to the extreme, covering up his abused of hundreds or thousands of children, as well as Ratzinger himself, who accepted that Maciel was doing bad things, yet argued, as cardinal, that he was nonetheless beloved by Pope John Paul II, and that the case was better left alone. Only toward the end of the 2000s did the Church admit to Maciel crimes, though this is hardly the end of it: As Aristegui exposes, the Legion and the Vatican may have erased the image of Macial from its annals, yet the organization remains intact, as does the vertical, authoritarian structures that allowed for the abuse in the first place.

It will be up to others to outline the legal responsibility of Ratzinger and Norberto Rivera for having essentially protected a child raper, knowing full well that Marcial Maciel was one. Yet it certainly puts into perspective the church´s recent declarations against the Mexico City Government

Mexican church's "Narco donations" and ties to drug lords causes friction and calls for investigations

The issue of narcolimosnas or donations from the drug gangs to the church, as well as the church's ties to the narcos more generally, is causing increasing friction within the Mexican Catholic Church. It has long been an open secret - or no secret at all - that the church has happily accepted massive donations from organized crime to fund its programs, maintain its buildings, or, in the extreme case of Hidalgo, erecting temples in their honor: There, it was recently revealed that Heriberto "El Lazca" Lazcano, head of the vicious Los Zetas mafia, had practically financed the building of the chapel El Tezontle, in Pachuca.

Monseñor Diego Monroy Ponce, rector of the Basílica de Guadalupe, rejects that any donations to the basilica came from the narcos, but called upon Archbishop of Durango Héctor González to reveal whatever he might know regarding the whereabouts of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, Mexico's most famous drug lord.

Senator Carlos Navarrete of the PRD, recently called upon the Attorney General (PGR) to investigate the Mexican Catholic Church for its ties to the drug lords, as did PRI's Jesús Murillo Karam, who demanded the church reveal what it knows. From the ruling PAN? Not a peep.

As long as PAN remains in power, don't expect the PGR to lift a finger against the church no matter its offenses: illegal interference in politics, libel, protecting pederasts, promoting hate crimes, and now, colluding with the narco criminals.

Money-laundering investigation of Bishop Onésimo Cépeda Silva of Ecatepec reopened

Irony of ironies. I can think of no institution that is capable of beating the Catholic Church in hypocrisy, and the discrepancy between church doctrine and its actions is for political observers a gift that just keeps on giving. The most recent case is that of the Bishop of Ecatepec, Onésimo Cépeda Silva.


Just a few days ago, the Archdiocese of Mexico condemned, though it didn't name, governors, police forces, military officers, business sectors, and even "some religious environments" for having ties to the narcos and organized crime.


It is well known that Cardenal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez of Guadalajara has been under federal investigation for money laundering for the narcos and illicit enrichment, though he was exonerated; Jorge Carpizo, former attorney general of Mexico, bitterly complained that the case was blocked for political reasons - and Carpizo even took the case directly to the Vatican, so far with no luck. 


Now, a federal judge has reopened the case against Bishop Onésimo Cépeda, one of the church's most sinister and reactionary characters, and businessman Jaime Matute for a $130-million dollar (!) fraud, where Batute in collusion with Cépeda allegedly falsely acquired ownership titles of a range of highly valuable paintings, many of which in addition may be considered part of Mexico's national patrimony.  


Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone, as the verse goes. This case may not be related directly to the narcos, but the charges of engaging in organized crime are very grave. 
Should Cépeda be convicted - unlikely given his connections to powers-that-be, including Mexico State Governor Enrique Peña Nieto - the church may think twice before it starts hurling stones in a glass house. Though given the story of the Mexican Church in Mexico, I don't find that too likely either. 

Jalisco gov denies sponsoring "gay conversion" - yet attacks opponent as "intolerant"

The state government of Jalisco, far too often the laughingstock of the nation, in a statement denies sponsoring the "gay conversion" event to be held there in November, arguing that the use of the official logo of the government in material promoting the event was due to it being used without permission, as the conference will be attended by Jesús Manuel Fonseca, of the state General Coordination of Social Affairs. In the same, however, the state government offers no explanation why Fonseca should attend such a quack event in the first place, but rather lauds him as an internationally "accredited psychologist." Instead, the government, rather than acknowledging the local PRD deputy Raúl Vargas López for having discovered what suuuuurely must be the unauthorized use of the state logo, denounce him as an "intolerant" - for standing up to the charlatan fearmongers that promote the nonsense of "gay conversion" through prayer and snake oil. 

Emilio González Márquez, governor of Jalisco, a gift that keeps giving

Emilio González Márquez, governor of Jalisco, is on the offensive, and wants to ride the coattails of the Mexican Revolution like everyone else, despite his tenure as one of the absolute most right-wing governors of the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN): "I am a revolutionary, and a juarista," he declared yesterday in conference of newly elected PAN mayors. He is most decidedly not. As governor of Jalisco, he has preceded over, among many things, extremely reactionary education policies that includes an attack on sex education policies, and a very, very cozy relationship with the Mexican Church's most extremist, falangist elements, above his close friend (and, many have argued, his real boss), Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez. Among a rash of scandals, González Márquez was caught red handed a couple of years ago trying to pass off millions of pesos of tax payers money to pay for a sanctuary for cristero fighters, fanatical catholics who rebelled against the Mexican state in the 1920s - an attempt at counter revolution.

 No, there is absolutely nothing linking Emilio González Márquez to the Revolution; he is as counter-revolutionary as they come, and appears more far right than even El Chacal himself, the counterrevolutionary Victoriano Huerta who had Madero murdered.

If nothing else, the latest utterances of Emilio González Márquez, shows that the Mexican Revolution still is powerful enough to lead even the most counter-revolutionary of Mexico's governors to seek to link himself to it. In this case, it just won't work. 

Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez is no brave man

Marcelo Ebrard, in response to numerous provocations from Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez of Guadalajara, recently took a jab at the highly reactionary cleric by referring to him as a cavernal, or caveman. To this can be added another epithet: Coward. In response to Ebrard's current lawsuit against Sandoval and other high clergy, who have hurled around, with no evidence, accusations that Ebrard has bribed the Supreme Court, that Ebrard's party is "fascist," and so forth, Sandoval pathetically declared that it was not him, but the media, that are guilty of the "moral damage" Ebrard is suing Sandoval for. Why the media? Well, because they actually reported Sandoval's serious accusations. That's right, take no responsibility for your own statements, but shoot the messenger that reports them to the public as a whole...

It is clear that the Guadalajara cardinal is not even man enough to stand up for his own words: Not only a cultural caveman, he is also a coward.   

Ortega agrees with Aguachile and Aguachile with him: IFE bows to church

Especially considering that we are now celebrating the 20th anniversary of IFE, the Mexican Federal Electoral Institute, it's decision to refrain from commenting on the blatant illegality of the church's interference in politics and simply pass on PRD's complain to the Interior Ministroy, was simply evading responsibility, as Jesús Ortega, president of the PRD put it - giving in to church pressure. Without sounding too alarmist, this to me bodes ill for 2012, especially with Ebrard as the left's candidate: If the church can get away with calling the party "fascist," Ebrard a "dictator," the Supreme Court "corrupt" - what is yet to come? 

Sad day for IFE: Federal Electoral Institute disappoints greatly by refusing to deal with church

It's a disgrace: The Mexican Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) voted 7-1 to simply pass on the compliant it received from the PRD regarding the extreme interference by leading members of the Mexican catholic high cleargy, above all the Mexico City Archdiocese spokesman Hugo Valdemar, and Guadalajara cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, who on many occasions have called on voters not to vote for the PRD, a party they smeared as "fascist." Rather than giving an opinion on the matter, IFE voted to simply pass the case on to the Interior Ministry. Yet by doing so - by refusing to take responsibility on a matter that, given the church blatant violation of the constitution, may have a crucial impact on the 2012 elections - the case is effectively dead: Interior Minister José Francisco Blake Mora has the entire time been utterly passive and deferent to the church's extremist declarations, refusing to to his job of defending the Mexican Constitution and democracy. 


IFE Coincilor Alfredo Figueroa was a lone voice that spoke up for IFE's autonomy, arguing it shouldn't merely defer to SeGob, or the Interior Ministry

"We can call on the President of the Republic, but not on Sandoval; we can call on different actors, but not on the church....why did we create an autonomous organ for later to abdicate [responsibility]?"

Others like Marco Antonio Baños, who in the end voted for passing on the case to SeGob, nonetheless argued IFE should still take a stance again Sandoval Iñiguez and Hugo Valdemar. Yet the IFE refused to to so. One may consequently expect the most extremist and falangist elements of the Mexican Church to feel emboldened and merely step up their attacks. 
Qué vergüenza.