Vatican City, Feb 23, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Pope John Paul II said this morning that “it is to be hoped that the Church in Mexico will be able to enjoy full freedom in all areas where she develops her pastoral and social mission.”
In his message to Javier Moctezuma Barragan, the new ambassador from Mexico to the Holy See, the Holy Father underscored the re-establishing of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the Holy See in September 1992.
“Over the years, marked by rapid and deep changes in the political, social and economic spheres of the country, the Catholic Church, faithful to her own pastoral mission, has continued promoting the common good of the Mexican people, seeking dialogue and understanding with diverse public institutions and defending her right to participate in national life,” he said.
In this sense, the Pope stressed that “the Church does not seek privileges nor does she wish to be in spheres not proper to her, but rather desires to fulfill her mission in favor of the spiritual and human good of the Mexican people without barriers or impediments.”