The Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) issued a statement condemning all forms of verbal violence or discrimination, especially toward women, and exhorts priests and pastoral agents to watch their words so that they always reflect Christian charity. The document, identified with protocol number 438/25, states that there is no justification for the use of violent or derogatory expressions and reminds that those who serve in the Church are called to reflect “the compassionate face of Christ, who always dignifies and never humiliates.”
The text, signed by Msgr. Ramón Castro Castro, Bishop of Cuernavaca and president of the CEM, and by Msgr. Héctor M. Pérez Villarreal, Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico and general secretary, underscores the Mexican episcopate’s commitment to working for a Church that listens, welcomes, and defends the dignity of every person. The bishops assure that this commitment must be lived out both in the proclamation of the Gospel and in the daily life of communities, building spaces for dialogue, reconciliation, and peace.
The Case of «Father Pistolas»
According to the report published by ACI Prensa, the CEM’s statement comes after a controversy generated by the expressions of the priest Jesús Alfredo Gallegos Lara, known as “Father Pistolas.” In a homily delivered in Chucándiro, Michoacán, the priest launched offensive phrases against the governor of Guanajuato, which sparked criticism on social media and in national media. In the disseminated video, he can be heard saying: “I’m going to break her mother, her, because she’s the one guilty of letting us all die of hunger,” and later, in public statements, he tried to justify his words by assuring that “violence is not me talking about a woman, violence is that this lady wants to leave all of Mexico without food.”
A Pastoral Exhortation to Witness and Coherence
Although the CEM does not mention names in its statement, the context pointed out by ACI Prensa makes it possible to understand that the pronouncement seeks to reaffirm the call to prudence and Christian witness from those who have pastoral responsibility. The Mexican Church insists that the language of priests must always be a vehicle of truth and mercy, without falling into aggressions or personal disqualifications that fail charity.
The bishops recalled that the priest, by his condition as a pastor, is called to preach with firmness but also with humility and respect. The minister’s word, the statement emphasizes, must serve to build up and not to divide, for in it the people of God seek consolation, guidance, and example. In that sense, the CEM invited all pastoral agents to review their way of communicating and to ensure that their service is always inspired by charity, truth, and the dignity of every human person.