Conger

The Mexican government has vowed to protect the country’s largest Church after leftwing activists invaded the Catedral Metropolitana.

On Nov 18 a mob several hundred strong stormed the Baroque Roman Catholic cathedral in Mexico City during Sunday services after its 18 bells drowned out speakers in a rally organized by the left wing Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) on the Zócalo, the city’s Constitution Square.

Mexican television recorded a pitched battle between political activists and worshippers with the mob tearing down railings, overturning altars and smashing images of saints.

The mob denounced Pope Benedict XVI and chanted slogans of support for PRD leader Andres Lopez Obrador. Worshippers responded by overturning pews, forming a barricade around the Cathedral’s golden altar to prevent its desecration.

After police restored order, the Church shuttered the Cathedral for a week, demanding police protection. The PRD, which controls the Mexico City government, denied responsibility for the attack, and urged its members to respect the Church.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Latin America (CELAM) condemned the attack as “a brutal profanation” but on Nov 23 urged the archdiocese to reopen the cathedral for worship. Following assurances by the city’s police chief that security would be tightened, Mexico City’s eight catholic bishops agreed to reopen the seventeenth century church on Nov 25.

Tensions between the PRD and the Roman Catholic Church in historically anti-clerical Mexico have been on the rise in the wake of church protests over the city government’s creation of gay marriages and relaxation of abortion laws. The Church’s support for the pro-Catholic PAN party, which controls the Federal government, has led to death threats against Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera.

In March 2006, Mexican police shuttered Christ Church in Mexico City, charging the capital’s English-speaking Anglican congregation with violating local land-use ordinances. Archbishop Carlos Touché-Porter, Primate of Mexico denied the charges, and the church was able to reopen following negotiations between the city and diocese.

A coalition of bishops from Brazil, Mexico, Central America and the Spanish-speaking dioceses of the Caribbean have released a statement calling for doctrinal latitude within the Anglican Communion, arguing that a respectful diversity of opinion could be an engine of renewal and growth for the Church.

In a letter released following a May 18-22 meeting in San José, Costa Rica the Bishops, who call themselves the Centro Global, [Global Center], distanced themselves from the hardline approach taken by the American Church and its allies amongst the “Global North” and the opposing “Global South” coalition of dioceses in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

This growing “polarization” between the “non reconcilable” truth claims of the “Global North and Global South” had placed the “unity of the Communion at risk” they said, noting “in the midst of this painful controversy, we do not identify with either side, because they don’t fully represent the spirit of our thoughts.”

Among the signatories to the letter were supporters of the progressive agenda including two of the consecrating bishops for Gene Robinson, El Salvador Bishop Martin Barahona and Central Ecuador Bishop Wilfredo Ramos, along with American bishops who strongly opposed his consecration: Colombian Bishop Francisco Duque and Honduran Bishop Lloyd Allen.

The Centro Global bishops acknowledged that within their ranks were those who “hold different positions on the themes that are presently discussed in the Communion.” However this “plurality and diversity” had been a “rich source for growth, rather than a cause for controversy and division.”

Echoing the call of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams the Centro Global bishops affirmed their intention to maintain Eucharistic fellowship across doctrinal and party boundaries and invited the bishops of the Anglican Communion “to join together and work for an effective reconciliation, interdependence and unity in the diversity of our family of faith and so preserve the valuable legacy of which we are guardians.”

Their meeting in San José left the Centro Global bishops with the firm “conviction that, [the Anglican Communion] will make it with God’s blessings. Of this, we are sure and now we return to our dioceses comforted and full of joy and hope.”

Mexican police have closed Christ Church in Mexico City, charging the capital’s English-speaking Episcopal congregation with violating local land-use ordinances. Church officials deny the charges.

According to the Most Rev. Carlos Touché-Porter, Archbishop and Primate of Mexico, police entered the church on March 15, sealing the church and parish hall with tape. Parish officials were served with a government order stating the church was “permanently and completely closed,” The Herald of Mexico City reported.

Christ Church’s rector, the Rev. Vincent Schwahn ignored the order, holding a service that evening that was attended by several members of the diplomatic corps.

City officials stated March 16 that the seizure was prompted by the church’s having failed to pay property taxes, not complying with zoning ordinances, and having insufficient parking spaces. Lawyers for the Church denied the charges, noting that under Mexican law all church buildings are the property of the Mexican Federal government and not liable for property taxes. They also dismissed the charge the church was in violation of zoning and parking ordinances, noting that a similar charge had been raised in July 2005, but dismissed by local officials.

“The real reason behind the story is that some powerful Roman Catholic neighbors have been pushing the local authorities of the borough where the Church is located” to shut the church down, said Archbishop Touché-Porter, but he noted, “the Roman Catholic Church is not involved in this problem.” Rivalries between the PAN and PRI political parties may also be playing a role, sources say.

A spokesman for Archbishop Touché-Porter anticipated the incident would be resolved without recourse to litigation.

Published in The Living Church.