Originally published at National Catholic Register
The first meeting between Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s new president, and the country’s Catholic bishops took place on Nov. 13. Among the topics discussed were “the defense of life at all stages” and “the violent situation that affects various regions of the country.”
The meeting took place in the context of the 117th Plenary Assembly of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym), which is taking place Nov. 11–15 at conference headquarters in Casa Lago, located in the town of Cuautitlán in Mexico state.
According to a statement published by the CEM, the prelates held a “frank and constructive dialogue” with Sheinbaum — a member of the left-wing MORENA party — who took office on Oct. 1, succeeding Andrés Manuel López Obrador, founder of MORENA (National Regeneration Movement).
Given the violent situation in various parts of Mexico, the bishops addressed the need to promote “building peace” and asked Sheinbaum to “build bridges of dialogue that promote national unity, an indispensable element to achieve the peace and integral development that our country yearns for.”
In this context, the bishops recognized the federal government’s efforts to address the social causes of violence but emphasized the need to implement “more effective strategies
