Pope asks for prayers for Mexican students who were burned alive

Pope asks for prayers for Mexican students who were burned alive

(Vatican Radio) In greeting Spanish speaking pilgrims at the general Audience Wednesday, Pope Francs spoke of the 43 Mexican students who disappeared on  September 26 in Iguala, in the Southern State of Guerrero, and were burned alive by drug traffickers.

The Pope said : "I would like to raise a prayer and draw close in our hearts to the people of Mexico, who are suffering from the loss of these students and many similar problems. May our hearts be close to them, in prayer at this time".

The Archdiocese of Mexico City has issued a statement in response to the disappearance of 43 trainee teachers.  An editorial published in the archdiocesan newspaper Desde la Fe reads:  “The evil that Mexico suffers is a true decomposition of the social fabric, an evil from which no sector of the country escapes”.

“The seriousness of the crisis demands a deep replanting of our morals, our laws and the social and political organization of our homeland”.

“It is necessary to reconstruct the country. It is urgent that there be a commitment from all sectors of society to combat the immorality, impunity, corruption and cynicism that has our nation on its knees and covered in shame. The political class has showed itself to be unworthy and their parties have shown themselves to be totally incompetent for such a large task”.

Catholic News Service reports that the trainee teachers went missing on September 26 in Iguala, 120 miles south of Mexico City. Classmates and authorities said the students went to collect money for a trip to the capital, but were pulled over, shot at by police, detained and turned over to a criminal group known as Guerrero Unidos.

Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said the attack was ordered by Iguala Mayor Jose Luis Abarca and his wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda, in order to prevent the students from protesting an event organized by Pineda.

Authorities said organised crime paid the mayor of Iguala and his wife — whose whereabouts remain unknown — more than $200,000 per month and plied the police with more money. Political observers say the collusion is unsurprising and increasing in some places as politicians on the local level are often unaccountable and feel free to act with impunity and without oversight.

(Emer McCarthy)

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