AMERICA/MEXICO - "We want peace!": The Bishop of Apatzingan leads a march with thousands of faithful

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Apatzingán (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishop of the Mexican diocese of Apatzingá, His Exc. Mgr. Miguel Patiño Velazquez has not been placed under close surveillance by the police and by federal forces because he is target of an imminent attack by an organized crime.
According to the media of the city of Apatzingan, last Sunday, November 3, around 10pm, about forty federal police cars arrived at the Bishop's house, adjacent to the Cathedral, and took him to a military barrack, in order to thwart aggression identified through the interception of some satellite phones.
The note sent to Fides Agency by an authoritative local source clarifies the situation: Mgr. Patiño Velazquez has no escort, no military protection and has no desire of wanting it. The reality is that the population in the area has been living in an atmosphere of great tension and fear for a long time, because of the violence of criminal gangs. On October 16, the Bishop had published a letter in which he denounced that the region of the Valley of Apatzingán was subjected to organized crime. "Kidnappings, abductions, murders and bribes have increased, to the point that entire families have been forced to emigrate due to the fear and insecurity in which we are living", said the Bishop.
Last weekend, Mgr. Patiño Velázquez led a peace march organized by the Catholic Church to instill calm and serenity in the population. "We walked down the street to rekindle the hope of the entire population. We want peace!" said the Bishop, together with a group of priests and nuns who were joined by several thousand faithful. They left from 5 different parishes of the diocese, the march reached the Cathedral where Mass was celebrated for peace in the state of Michoacan. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 05/11/2013)


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