Mexico City, Mexico, Jul 23, 2006 / 22:00 pm
As part of their effort to support the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) in its bid to be declared winner of the disputed presidential elections, several anti-Catholic groups - including “Catholics” for a Free Choice - have united under the name, The Ecclesial Observatory, to attack the Mexican bishops.
The Ecclesial Observatory presents itself as a group of 15 Christian-inspired associations; but its agenda includes the promotion of abortion and homosexual unions.
Its leaders recently met at the National Center of Social Communications (NCSC) - which is also part of the collation - in order to accuse Church leaders, such as Cardinal Norberto Rivera of Mexico City, of acting with “ambiguity” and thus fostering an atmosphere of violence and confrontation.
The NCSC, founded by leftist militant Jose Alvarez Icaza, began as a “parallel” conference meant to counter the Fourth General Conference of the Latin American Bishops’ Council in 1992, in Santo Domingo, and to influence the final document produced by the bishops with Marxist liberation theology.
The Ecclesial Observatory claims Church officials have been supporting specific candidates and parties rather than democratic participation in general. Jaime Laimes, one of the group’s spokesmen, accused some bishops of, “fostering an atmosphere of violence and confrontation, because there were many ambiguous actions that make one believe they were supporting the candidate of a particular party” - a reference to Felipe Calderon, the virtual winner of the presidential elections and candidate of the PAN party.
Father Hugo Valdemar, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Mexico City, denounced Laimes’ statements and denied that Cardinal Rivera had endorsed Calderon.
Auxiliary Bishop Abelardo Alvarado, of Mexico City, said the bishops, “are awaiting the decision by the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary,” regarding the official winner of the July 2nd presidential elections.