The cardinal emphasised that these changes are faithful to Catholic teaching and reflect local culture, addressing traditionalist criticism.

The Dicastery for Divine Worship recently approved a decree permitting adaptations. These included ritual dances and laypersons handling incense in the Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

"Neither Jesus nor the apostles celebrated with the Tridentine Missal. It dates back to the 16th century" Cardinal Esquivel wrote in the Mexican church publication Desde la Fe. He argued that opposition to the adaptations stems from misunderstandings about liturgy and indigenous culture.

The decree also authorised a translation of the missal into Tzeltal, an indigenous language. However, the Mexican Bishops' Conference clarified that these are optional adaptations within the Novus Ordo, not a new rite or "Mayan rite".

Inculturation

Cardinal Esquivel stressed that these changes align with the Church's tradition of inculturation which integrates cultural elements into Catholic worship.

"It is the best example of inculturation with Jewish ritual signs" said the cardinal. "He instituted the Eucharist not in Latin, but in Aramaic, the language of those with whom he lived at the time."

The Mexican cardinal added "the bread he used was not like our hosts, which are wafers and true bread; it changes the shape, not the substance".

True to Catholic doctrine

The bishops reiterated that the adaptations exclude practices like Mayan altars and prayers to the four cardinal directions.

Esquivel called for continuing the inculturation process, ensuring indigenous believers can express their faith within their cultural context while remaining true to Catholic doctrine.

The cardinal stressed the importance of being faithful to the Word of God and the Magisterium of the Church so that "our people can also live their faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in their cultural forms".

Sources

Desde la Fe

English Katholisch

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

The adaptations include new roles for lay leaders and cultural expressions during worship, reflecting the traditions of local Indigenous communities.

According to a decree issued by Cardinal Arthur Roche, the Dicastery for Divine Worship granted formal recognition for these changes on 8 November.

However, the Vatican is reviewing broader use for all Mexican Indigenous groups and considering variations for different communities.

Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel praised the Vatican's approval: "It is the official recognition of the Church that these adaptations are recognised as valid and legitimate.

"They are the liturgy of the Church, not just customs and traditions that are viewed with suspicion".

Approved Adaptations

The approved adaptations emphasise Indigenous traditions while maintaining the theological integrity of the Roman rite. Community-selected leaders, known as "Principals", will guide communal prayers during Mass, fostering greater participation.

Additionally, post-Communion thanksgiving may now include rhythmic movements, enabling worshippers to express their faith in culturally meaningful ways.

The cardinal explained that ritual dances were approved for the offertory, the prayers of the faithful and the thanksgiving after Communion.

He pointed out that these "are not folklore but simple movements of the entire assembly - monotone, contemplative, accompanied by traditional music - which express the same thing as the Roman rite but in a different cultural form".

Another approved point is that women can now serve as thurifers during Mass. After the priest blesses the incense, they can incense the altar, images, Gospel book, ministers and assembly.

Using culturally specific incense, this practice reflects Indigenous customs where women traditionally perform this role, not as a feminist demand but as part of their spiritual heritage.

Making a culture

With over 23 million Indigenous people in Mexico representing 62 languages, the adaptations aim to make the liturgy more inclusive. Cardinal Arizmendi stated, "The content of the mass is not being changed, but the way it is expressed. This is not about destroying the liturgy but making it a culture".

The Vatican's recognition follows decades of advocacy for inculturation as supported by the Second Vatican Council and reiterated by Pope Francis in Querida Amazonia.

It also aligns with global efforts such as Australia's approval of an Aboriginal liturgy earlier this year.

Sources

The Pillar

Catholic News Agency

English Katholisch

CathNews New Zealand

With the legal support of ADF International, the Querétaro Diocese successfully fended off a demand from the Mexican National Institute for Data Protection to alter church records according to a transgender-identifying individual's self-identification.

The transgender-identifying claimant first filed a petition against the Querétaro Catholic Diocese in 2021, following a demand for the church to change the registered name and male sex on the particular baptismal records, which the church denied.

The complainant held that, under Mexican data protection law, the church must submit to the demand, regardless of biological fact and historical accuracy.

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They are looking to laypeople, especially the young, to cooperate with the law.

"We have had meetings of businessmen, women, young people, consecrated men and women, seminarians, priests..." says Archbishop Rogelio Cabrera López, Mexico Bishops' Conference president.

He says it's important they involve the entire community in a national meeting to choose a way to promote peace.

A country where there is no justice can have no order or tranquillity, López says.

"That is why the national meeting is important ... [so we] sit down to discuss these issues that hurt a lot in our country.

"In our archdiocese, there are about 10,000 prisoners, men and women, who we have to encourage, promote and guide towards a path of conversion so that when they are free, they can be respectful of the law and respectful of human beings," Cabrera says.

The Church is reconsidering the role all Mexicans have "in this fight so that there is peace in Mexico".

Youth ministry and education

The Church's plan to combat violence and crime involves targeting young people in street and gang situations.

It has established the "New Race" apostolate, where Church personnel try to "convert" young people into being missionaries for peace.

This involves convincing young people that the way of peace is the way of God, Cabrera says.

He highlights the importance of youth ministry and education that responds to the people's needs.

He adds that it also needs to guarantee security and justice within the context of increasing numbers of missing people and in violence and crime.

Violence is a serious issue related to drug trafficking and criminal activities.

He also points to Mexico's political, business and social sectors which can also exacerbate poverty and rob people of opportunities for integral development.

Official crime statistics

Official figures show Mexico had 15,122 homicides in the first half of this year; in June, there were 2,536.

In 2023, the Federal and State Penitentiary System said Mexico's 284 penitentiary centres had 232,230 inmates.

The Ministry of the Interior reported 111,461 people missing from 1962 to 10 September 2023.

Why the violence?

"Mexico's violence is the result of a multi-level, uncoordinated judicial system that has been incapable of controlling criminal networks that are increasingly fractured and geographically dispersed," the Mexico Institute says.

"Today's crisis is the result of changes in the modus operandi of criminals that are not mirrored by changes in Mexico's judicial and police institutions," it said.

The 2021 Global Organised Crime Index demonstrates that widespread systemic corruption has allowed criminal networks to flourish in Mexico.

Source

• La Croix

Mexico was one of the countries where the most violence took place. In the country's capital, Mexico City, protesters attacked the metropolitan cathedral located in Constitution Plaza.

Faced with the fences protecting the church, they opted to tear down a nearby traffic light. In images shared by local media, several women can be seen hitting part of the fence attempting to destroy it, while the police try to disperse them by firing tear gas.

In Puebla, about 80 miles southeast of Mexico City, local feminists tried to destroy the angel statues that sit on top of the fence in front of the cathedral. City hall was also hit with graffiti and vandalism.

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That's the conclusion of the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) report on the synodal consultations that took place late last year in 75 of the Latin American country's 79 dioceses.

The bishops acknowledged that they have listened "little or not at all" to isolated people, children, adolescents, young people, people living on the street, homosexuals, women who have been raped, businessmen and politicians, communicators and professionals in general.

Mexico is the second-largest Catholic country in the world, with an estimated 100 million members. However, the proportion of Catholics in the country has decreased steadily from 89.7% of the population in 1990 to 77.7% in 2020.

The bishops noted that many Catholics are moving away from sacramental practice, even though they still identify as Catholic.

This "silent exodus" is particularly prevalent among young people who turn away from the Catholic Church in a country that recently decriminalised abortion and legalised same-sex marriage.

Msgr Salvador Avila, the rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe outside Mexico City, admits a "relational crisis" exists in the Church. He believes that television and social media have played a part in young people's crisis of faith.

"Maybe young people don't understand the message of Jesus Christ, they doubt how to live their faith," Avila says.

Mexicans turning away from religion

Fred Alvarez Palafox, a journalist with the religious and Christian news outlet Contextos de la Palabra, confirms that Mexicans are turning away from religion. He notes that while the vast majority of people are baptised, only 30-40% of them attend Mass.

Alvarez believes the Church needs to undergo a profound reform, accusing the bishops of being "out of touch" and "stuck in the John Paul II era."

The Mexican bishops also pointed specifically to a crisis of "clericalism" in the Catholic Church, especially among those in their own ranks. They reported that priests and laypeople are frustrated with how Church leaders exercise authority, which is confused with "power".

Msgr Avila believes that Catholics continue to attend "gatherings for major celebrations" and remain attached to a form of popular religiosity expressed in shrines and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

"Faith is often associated with: 'Sit still, close your eyes and pray.' But to reverse that tendency, we need to develop initiatives in movement, such as camps and pilgrimages, as well as formation, especially through the Pontifical University of Mexico," the priest insists.

The decline of Catholicism in Mexico is likely to be on the agenda when the top officials of the Mexican bishops' conference meet with the Vatican during their current visit to Rome for a series of meetings to help prepare for upcoming ad limina visits.

Sources

La Croix International

Catholic Herald

Better known as "Father Pistolas," Rev Alfredo Gallegos is a priest in the violence-plagued western state of Michoacan who has himself sometimes carried a weapon.

A circular from the Archdiocese of Morelia, the state capital, instructed other priests not to allow the Rev. Gallegos to celebrate Mass.

While the archdiocese did not answer phone calls seeking to confirm the order, a priest in a neighbouring diocese who was not authorised to be quoted by name confirmed the authenticity of the order Wednesday.

The order, dated Sept 21, did not specify a reason for the indefinite suspension imposed earlier that month, saying only that Gallegos "had been admonished on several occasions" for something.

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In the first ordination, 33 priests were ordained and in the second, 37.

In addition, the cardinal ordained seven new deacons on June 3, also at the shrine in Guadalajara.

Father Juan Carlos Lupercio Gómez, the vice-rector of the Guadalajara seminary, told the archdiocese's weekly publication that "it's a blessing in the midst of this time in which we're living — in many sectors — an environment without God."

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