Pope condemns drug trade, violence in Mexico

Luke Skywalker · Feb 13, 2016

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[h=4]Pope condemns drug trade, violence in Mexico[/h]Pope Francis mixed pastoral and political messages during his visit, praising the poor and marginalized while condemning drug trafficking

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Tens of thousands of cheering Mexicans gathered outside the residence where Pope Francis is staying to send him off on his first full day in Mexico. (Feb. 13) AP

Pope Francis waves from the popemobile on his way to the National Palace, in Mexico City on February 13, 2016. Francis became the first pope to enter Mexico's National Palace to meet President Enrique Pena Nieto, as he starts a cross-country tour that will highlight the country's violence and migration troubles.(Photo: Julio Cesar Aguilar Fuentes, AFP/Getty Images)

MEXICO CITY*—*Pope Francis called on Mexico’s elected leaders to provide basic rights to their citizens*and blamed*individualism as the root of the country’s most pressing challenges, including rampant corruption and ongoing drug violence.
Flanked by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, the pope addressed congressmen and women, governors and the civil and diplomatic corps*in the first of three major events Saturday,*the second day of*his visit to Mexico.
In his introduction, the president welcomed the pontiff and said his visit meant a lot to the people. He also listed challenges his country faced*—*but notably*made no mention of the violence and drug trafficking that has ravaged the nation.
That wasn’t the case for Francis.
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“Each time we seek the path of privileges and benefits for the few to the detriment of the good of all, sooner or later the life of society becomes a fertile soil for corruption, drug trade, exclusion of different cultures, violence and also human trafficking, kidnapping and death, bringing suffering and slowing down development,” the pope said.
The pope, referring to himself as a “missionary of mercy and peace,” called on elected leaders to guarantee access to basic necessities for all citizens, such as affordable housing, dignified jobs, food security and safety.

Pope Francis rides in his popemobile Feb. 13, 2016, after a welcome ceremony at the National Palace in Mexico City.*(Photo: ALESSANDRO DI MEO, EPA)

Peña Nieto was elected in 2012 on a promise to crack down on his country's drug violence and boost Mexico's economy.
But a little more than three years after he was sworn in, allegations that he; his wife, first lady Angelica Rivera; and his finance minister benefited from*sweetheart real-estate deals made with a government contractor before he was elected president continue to dog him even though a official inquiry absolved him of wrongdoing. Though Mexico's economic growth was a modest 2.4% last year, the government has been cutting public spending in anticipation of less tax revenue from oil companies.
In his controversial remarks, the pope seems to be tapping into the frustration many Mexicans have expressed in the past two days with pervasive government corruption and the inability of the government to bring years of drug cartel violence and crime under control. Over and over, Mexicans have said they are desperately praying that the pope's visit will bring peace to Mexico by raising the spiritual conscious of government leaders and those involved in crime and the drug trade.
One man who arrived before dawn 12 hours before the pope will say Mass described how daily tasks others take for granted are frightening.
"Leaving your house to go to work is an adventure," said Raybel Paredes, 35, a chauffeur.. "You don't know if you are going to make it back alive."
He lives in Ecatepec, the same densely populated, working-class suburb where the pope will say Mass on Sunday.
Kidnappings, murders, extortions robberies and assaults are so common that most people do not leave their homes after dark,*Paredes said.
[h=3]Pope to bishops: If you fight, pray together[/h]After Francis' speech, he boarded his popemobile and weaved through crowds at the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square, toward*the Metropolitan Cathedral to meet with Mexican bishops. There, he*offered a public rebuke of infighting among bishops*and urged them to tackle the problems surrounding drug trafficking in Mexico head on.
“If you have to fight, fight. If you have to tell each other off, say them. But as men, face to face,” he said. “But as men of God, pray together, … and if you crossed the line, ask for forgiveness. But be sure to maintain the unity of the episcopate.”

Pope Francis meets with bishops Feb. 13, 2016, at the National Cathedral in Mexico City.*(Photo: Alessandro Di Meo, European Pressphoto Agency)

His advice was off script, and these*off-the-cuff remarks have become somewhat of a hallmark for the pope.
Earlier, he expressed his concern for drug-related*violence*and urged bishops “not to underestimate the moral and antisocial challenge which the drug trade represents for Mexican society."
The pope also talked about migration for the first time in his visit, noting the millions of people who have left Mexico in search of better opportunities.
“Many of them have left behind their roots in order to brave the future, even in clandestine conditions which involve many risks,” he said. “So many families are separated, and integration into a supposedly ‘promised land’ is not always as easy as some believe."
He asked the Mexican bishops to work more closely with bishops in the United States to ease that transition for migrants and talked about the*issue of abuse at the hands of priests. The issue is particularly sensitive in Mexico because of a perceived cover-up from high ranks within the church in the case of Maciel Macias, the disgraced founder of a popular religious order that faced widespread allegations of sexual abuse..
The pope's day will conclude with a hallmark Mass at one of the Catholicism's*largest pilgrimage sites.

Pope Francis, center, is welcomed by Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, center right, and his wife Angelica Rivera, center left, at the Presidential palace in Mexico City, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016.* Gregorio Borgia, AP

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[h=3]Crowds in Mexico City to see pope[/h]Though the pope wouldn't arrive*at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for hours, thousands of people already*lined the main road leading into the basilica's grounds Saturday morning.*Some had been there since 5 a.m. CT or earlier.
As police officers strolled by and soldiers stood guard,*the pilgrims sat on stools or stood under umbrellas offering*protection from the increasingly hot sun. Temperatures were expected to rise into the 70s.
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The atmosphere was increasingly festive and generous.*One woman offered pieces of bread from a bag and spoon full of homemade potato salad with peas.
Reporters with television crews combed the crowds, spurring people to break out singing, "Se ve. Se siente. Papa esta presente."*Translation: He is seen. He is felt. The pope has arrived.
In the crowd were people from all over Mexico as well as many Latinos who traveled from the United States.
One camera crew from Chicago came prepared with a sign: "Usted Es Chicago."
[h=3]The rest of the pope's day[/h]Following his audience with bishops, Francis traveled to the Vatican embassy for a rare two-hour break*before he continued his packed schedule.
At 5 p.m.,*the pontiff will celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, named in honor of Mexico's beloved and deeply venerated*patron saint.
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It will be the pope's first time at the basilica. He previously had spoken*of his great desire to visit.
The Mass is expected to last about 2½*hours and could draw as many as 2 million people, according to organizers.
During the ceremony, the pope will bless the crown that sits atop the tilma, or cloth, at the altar of the basilica as a symbol of veneration.
Tradition states that*the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe ended up on that same tilma, dating back to the 16th century,*when the local bishop demanded proof from an indigenous convert who claimed he had seen the apparition of the Virgin Mary, but with dark skin and dressed in traditional Aztec attire.
Worshipers and onlookers are expected to line the route, including the area near the basilica, to catch a glimpse of the pope as he travels.*After Mass, he will travel back to the nunciature, the Vatican embassy,*for the night.

Rocio Estrada (from right) her husband, Raybel Paredes, and mother, Elsa Vera, all of Ecatepec, Mexico, talk as they wait to see Pope Francis near the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Mexico, on Saturday, February 13, 2016. The pope will be saying a mass at the Basilica of Guadalupe later in the day.* David Wallace/The Republic

Flor Esmeralda, 14, of Monterrey, Mexico, holds a blanket with Pope Francis' image on it, as she waits for the Pope's arrival near where Pope Francis is staying at the Vatican diplomatic mission in Mexico City, Mexico, on Friday, February 12, 2016. Pope Francis arrives in Mexico City for his inaugural visit to the country on Friday evening, February 12, 2016. * David Wallace/The Republic

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Pope condemns drug trade, violence in Mexico

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