Mexican bishops urge drug traffickers to give up violence during Lent

Published: 2008-02-15

MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- The Mexican bishops' conference has written an open letter urging drug traffickers to use Lent as a time to give up violent turf wars and street battles that have left thousands of people dead. The letter also voiced support for a crackdown on the drug gangs being waged by President Felipe Calderon, who has sent some 25,000 soldiers to fight the cartels. "The scourge of drug trafficking has caused so much death and destruction in our country," said the letter, signed by the conference president, Bishop Carlos Aguiar, and its secretary-general, Auxiliary Bishop Jose Leopoldo Gonzalez. The letter was given to the media Feb. 12. "We invite the guilty in these absurd drug-trafficking situations to take advantage of Lent to start on the sincere pathway to the conversion toward God. Only he can open your hearts and move your will to a total life change," it said. Rival Mexican cartels have been fighting over lucrative smuggling routes to the United States for cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine.

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