The Catholic bishops of Mexico are calling for justice to be pursued in the aftermath of a Jan. 25 deadly attack at a soccer field in Salamanca, Guanajuato, where a group of gunmen killed at least 11 people and injured others.
According to Los Ángeles Press, the Mexican Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Jan. 26 statement emphatically condemning the attack is signed by the conference president, Bishop Ramón Castro of Cuernavaca.
“This act deeply wounds life, human dignity, and the peaceful coexistence of our society; we ask that it does not go unpunished,” the statement adds.
The bishops emphasized that they stand with those mourning in the wake of the attack at the soccer field.
“We stand in solidarity with the families of the victims in Salamanca,” they said. “We raise our prayer to God for the eternal rest of those who have lost their lives, for the comfort of their loved ones, and for the end of the violence being experienced in Mexico.”
According to AP News, gunmen arrived at the end of a soccer match and opened fire, killing at least 11 and wounding 12, authorities said. Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto said in a statement that the attack is part of a “crime wave” and called on President Claudia Sheinbaum to provide assistance in responding to the violence.
The Cathedral of Puebla was also recently vandalized by the burning of the wooden doors on its northern entrance — an attack that the bishops condemned in the same Jan. 26 statement.
“This [attempted arson] attacks the material, spiritual, and cultural heritage of humanity. We join the community of Puebla in calling for the clarification of these facts,” the statement reads.
The bishops urged officials to take steps to increase security and protection of citizens.
“We call upon the authorities to responsibly assume their duty to protect life, security, and sacred spaces, and we urge all of society to work together for peace,” they concluded. “We entrust our country to the intercession of Saint Mary of Guadalupe, Queen of Mexico.”