The Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) has addressed a message to the “People of God who pilgrimage in Mexico” in response to the recent acts of violence occurring in the country, especially as a reaction to the operation that ended with the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho”. In the statement dated February 22, 2026, in Mexico City, the bishops exhort prudence, unity, and the intensification of prayer for the peace and security of Mexican families.
The text, signed by the president of the CEM, Monsignor Ramón Castro Castro, and by the general secretary, Monsignor Héctor M. Pérez Villarreal, underscores the pastoral closeness of the Church to those who live amid fear and uncertainty following the disturbances and blockades recorded in various regions of the country in recent days.
Context of Violence and Ecclesial Response
The operation against the drug trafficking leader, carried out on February 22, 2026, by forces of the Mexican Army, provoked confrontations, road blockades, fires in establishments, and chaos in various entities such as Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Michoacán.
This episode adds to a context of chronic violence that has kept Mexico among the countries with high levels of homicides, extortions, and presence of criminal groups. The CEM has been warning that “many regions of the country remain under the dominion of the violent” and that citizens experience everyday insecurity and forced displacements.
Therefore, in the statement, the bishops exhort to strengthen personal and community security measures, to shelter in their homes when necessary, and to avoid unnecessary displacements, always following the indications of civil authorities.
Peace Initiatives and Ecclesial Commitment
The Church in Mexico has promoted initiatives to address the root causes of violence. Among them is the National Dialogue for Peace, a space for encounter that brought together in January 2026 more than 1,300 leaders from various areas of society—bishops, victims, academics, businesspeople, and local authorities—with the objective of building a National Peace Agenda and articulating concrete proposals that address insecurity throughout the country.
Additionally, the bishops have pointed out the need to listen to the victims and to seek solutions that integrate the most vulnerable sectors, such as youth and marginalized communities, insisting that “peace cannot wait”.
Prayer, Reconciliation, and Fraternity
In its message, the CEM invites to intensify prayer in families, parishes, and communities, especially in the Sunday Eucharist, and to see prayer as a commitment to reconciliation and fraternity, not just as supplication.
The bishops entrust the entire country to the intercession of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Peace, asking for her protection over families and her help to build paths of justice, peace, and hope.
The statement concludes with a call to live these moments “united, with prudence, solidarity, and faith”, reiterating that the Church seeks to accompany the Mexican people with pastoral closeness amid the current difficulties.