AMERICA/MEXICO - “More than material walls we are concerned about walls of intransigence, intolerance and lack of effective negotiations between the governments of the countries’ involved”: Bishops issue statement and elect new Bishops’ Conference presidency

Cuautitlán Izcalli (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Bishops of Mexico have expressed deep concern for the phenomenon of migration. In a statement issued 15 November the Bishops said “We realise governments have a right to protect their borders, but not to violate human rights and therefore building walls and the application of inhuman measures to control emigration would not appear to be a suitable solution to one of the most complex problems of the 21st century.
Efforts by the United States government to increase security at its borders in recent years have failed to reduce emigration from Mexico to the north, indeed the Bishops write "the only result has been to increase the number of illegal immigrants making the path more dangerous and as a result thousands have died”. “It is clear that walls and the application of exaggerated measures to stem immigration - the statement continues -, will never be the right solution to the problem of emigration". The Bishops say that more than material walls, what concerns them are “intangible walls, of intransigence, intolerance, walls of lack of effective negotiations between the governments of the countries involved”. The Bishops conclude: “These walls must be destroyed and replaced with authentic bonds which lead to just solutions”.
During a recent assembly the Bishops’ Conference elected a new council of presidency for 2006-2009: Bishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Texcoco president; Bishop José Leopoldo González González, auxiliary of Guadalajara secretary general. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 16/11/2006; righe 21, parole 286)