AMERICA/MEXICO - “We must be all involved to stop the violence” says the Bishop of Zacatecas

Zacatecas (Agenzia Fides) –Bishop Sigifredo Noriega Barceló of the Mexican diocese of Zacatecas, affirmed that to tackle the drug-culture present in the country it is necessary to combine efforts on the part of the civil society and those of government bodies. According to a report sent by a local source to Fides, Bishop Noriega Barceló said the arrest of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, head of a band of drug traffickers, was highly important because it represents a major step forward on the path to peace. Nevertheless he warned that this achievement alone is not enough to end the violence.
"There remains the necessity to promote values in education, in families, in schools and in the media, and churches too have a responsibility in this sense" said Bishop Sigifredo Noriega Barceló after celebrating Sunday Mass yesterday . "All the different bodies in society must be involved, and even this is not enough: they must all work together " the Bishop underlined. Referring to the arrest he said: "This is a lesson for each and all; we are aware that our social tissue is deeply wounded, but we must remember that justice is justice and that the responsibility of the state and government is to guarantee healthy and peaceful social harmony ". The Bishop of Zacatecas reminded those present that it is the duty of all citizens to live with justice because this also helps to promote the nation’s economic development . (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 24/02/2014)