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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | June 2006 
Bishops Urge Mexicans to Vote in July (and Pray for a World Cup Miracle)
 AP
Mexico City - Mexico's Roman Catholic Church on Monday urged voters to participate in the July 2 presidential election and asked the candidates to run clean campaigns.
In an ad published in national newspapers, Mexican Bishop's Conference said the elections "represent an opportunity and a challenge to consolidate the significant advances" of the country's young democracy. Mexico was ruled by a single party for 71 years until President Vicente Fox's election in 2000.
The bishops urged voters to analyze the five candidates' proposals before casting their ballots and vote with "wisdom." The bishops also called on Mexico's patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe, to oversee the elections.
The ad ran a week after watchdog groups said the country's historically fragile separation of church and state was threatened by Fox's close ties to the Catholic Church and recent efforts by priests to influence voters.
The Ecclesiastical Observatory, comprising several organizations including Catholics for the Right to Decide and the Center for Ecumenical Studies, distributed pamphlets at 150 Catholic parishes nationwide Sunday reminding churchgoers of their right to vote independently.
Fox's conservative National Action Party is known for strong links to the church, and Fox and administration officials such as Interior Secretary Carlos Abascal have been criticized for making public religious gestures and statements.
Monday's ad was the first of its kind in these elections.
Mexican Catholics Pray for a World Cup Miracle
Jason Lange - Catholic News Service
Mexico City - Less than an hour after Mexico won its first World Cup match, worshippers in Mexico City were praying for further success before a statue of the infant Jesus dressed in a soccer uniform.
Since at least as far back as 1990, some churches in Mexico have been putting the national team's jersey on the statue, which many believe can grant miracles.
Early in June, worshippers passed before the statue placed near the altar at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in the capital's Tacuba neighborhood. The figure is wearing the full national team uniform - from the green jersey and white shorts right down to little tennis shoes - and is resting a foot on a tiny soccer ball.
"We're praying we'll win the World Cup," Jorge Leon said following a June 11 Mass at the parish. "That would be a miracle."
It seemed like every second person on the streets of soccer-mad Mexico City was wearing a national team jersey, as were many people at the Mass. Outside, people waved Mexican flags from their cars as they drove down the street, honking to celebrate Mexico's 3-1 win over Iran, in Nuremberg, Germany.
Leon, his wife, Monserat, and their 1-year-old daughter, Artet, sat through Mass with each of their faces painted in the flag's green, red and white colors.
The service was during the 90-minute break between Mexico's match and another between Angola and Portugal, both of which Mexico will face later in the first round. The Leon family was among the first out of church as Mass ended; they were hurrying back home to catch the game.
"We usually come to the earlier service, but this is a big day for the national team," Leon said.
Mexico has never advanced past the quarterfinals of the 32-nation cup, and Brazil's superstar-filled team is widely billed to win the trophy. Mexico is tipped to make it to the second round of the tournament, which runs through July 9 in Germany, but would have to beat much stiffer competition to advance further. |
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