MEXICO: Christians In Guerrero Expelled From Homes
26 February 08
In Chiapas, ‘traditionalist Catholics’ cut off water, electricity to 40 evangelicals.
“Traditionalist Catholics” this week expelled 20 evangelical Christians from a town in Guerrero state and cut off the electricity and water supplies to eight Protestant families in Chiapas state, Christian sources said.
Authorities in Guerrero, removed 20 Christians in three families, including 14 children, from their homes. Sources said the Christians were temporarily held in town offices, then loaded onto trucks and dumped on the edge of town.
Town leaders supportive of the “traditionalist Catholics,” who practice a blend of Catholic and native religion, told them they would be burned to death if they tried to return.
The reason for the expulsion of the evangelicals: failure to pay fees for the raucous, drunken festivals honoring Catholic saints. Contrary to the Mexican constitution’s guarantee of religious liberty, many indigenous communities obligate villagers to contribute to and participate in the “traditionalist Catholic” festivals.
To contravene the guarantee of religious freedom, autocratic town bosses or “caciques” cite a constitutional provision protecting local “uses and customs,” which Christian lawyers say is meant to prevent the government from prohibiting native practices – not force villagers to participate in them. The mayor of the municipality to which Tenango Tepexi belongs, Tlapa de Comonfort, invoked the “uses and customs” argument to force the evangelicals to pay fees for the religious festivals, though they would refuse to attend.
“It is important that they participate in their cooperation [paying fees] to make the festival greater,” said Mayor Martiniano Benitez Flores.
He added that no legal action would be taken against the town for having expelled the believers. The mayor offered to house the refugees temporarily and provide food for them until they can find new means of livelihood, but they have lost their homes and property.
Source: Compass
Pray for this situation in Mexico.
Pray that the expelled Christians will not be discouraged in their faith, instead will be stronger as a result.
Pray that God will find the Christians a new home to settle in quickly!