Conflict with the Vatican: Pope Francis prepares a response to the debate on the Conquest of Mexico while the bishops criticize the López Obrador administration
The incursion of Mexican First Lady, Beatriz Gutiérrez Müeller, to the Vatican leaves little and nothing for the Government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. According to information received by LPO, Pope Francis does not consider nor does he want to open an internal debate on the role of the Catholic Church in the Conquest of Mexico, nor will there be a visit by Francis to Mexico. Furthermore, the loan of documents from the curia requested by the president will not be answered for some time.
On the contrary, this Tuesday the head of the Mexican Episcopate, Rogelio Cabrera, is preparing to issue a strong message on the direction of the country. It will be within thework of a conference on the last encyclical signed by the Pope, known as Fratelli Tutti.
López Obrador is determined in indicating that there is a difference between the Mexican bishops and Francisco. "The local hierarchy does not criticize neoliberalism," he claims. The reality is that every movement of Cabrera in the public arena has the endorsement of the Vatican.
Cabrera is fully in tune with the Pope, who often acknowledges him privately as one of the great architects of the support his "Scholas Ocurrentes" program receives from Mexican businessmen, including Carlos Slim, Mexico's wealthiest man.
Beatriz Gutierrez with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
The Mexican bishops explain that the apology request made by López Obrador is unviable because the Pope has already apologized for the aberrations of the Conquest: it was during his visit to Bolivia in 2015. It is a subject that has been overcome and the Supreme Pontiff made it known to Beatriz Gutiérrez Muller. The First Lady was also reminded that John Paul II did the same in 1992 and Benedict XVI in 2007.
The Mexican curia estimates that it is very likely that in a few weeks a letter from the Vatican's Secretary of State, Pietro Parolín, will arrive at the National Palace, which will provide an answer to the presidential request.