The bishop of Aguascalientes, Juan Espinosa Jiménez, denied feeling intimidated after threats spread on social media, describing them as a “game” amplified by digital platforms. The state Attorney General’s Office is investigating the pro-government YouTuber who allegedly offered money to attack him, while the prelate calls for serenity, prayer, and avoiding polarization
In Aguascalientes, the voice of Bishop Juan Espinosa Jiménez has become a call for serenity in the face of a growing phenomenon: the fanaticism and hatred circulating on social media. In recent days, digital platforms amplified messages offering money to attack his life, an incident already under investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office and one that has caused concern within the Catholic community. However, the prelate has responded with calm and firmness, emphasizing that he does not feel intimidated and that what happened is more a reflection of digital manipulation than a real threat.
“I am calm, I am serene”, he stated in an interview with the Diocesan Courier, while describing the episode as “a cloud created on social media, a game that has grown larger like a snowball”. Espinosa thanked the faithful, priests, and bishops from various dioceses for their expressions of solidarity, but insisted that prayers should also be directed toward the diocese and all of Mexico. For him, what happened is a symptom of how social media can become spaces of public lynching, where the noise of evil overshadows the serenity of good.
The bishop lamented that isolated phrases from his homilies are manipulated to tarnish his image and that of the Church. “That does hurt me a little, because they want to denigrate the image of the bishop and the Church”, he noted, recalling that Aguascalientes is a deeply religious state, where 87% of the population identifies as Catholic. For him, the attack is not personal, but an attempt to discredit the religious institution in an environment where digital aggression is normalized and turned into spectacle.
Beyond downplaying the incident, Espinosa warned about the seriousness of putting a price on a person’s life. “It seems very delicate to me… so we can eliminate any person and put a price on anyone”, he said, stressing that this phenomenon opens a dangerous door in social culture. The bishop rejected the image of a “political bishop” that some try to attribute to him and reiterated that his mission is pastoral and spiritual, although with inevitable social repercussions.
The Catholic community of Aguascalientes has responded with solidarity, reaffirming its adherence to the pastor and its commitment to prayer. Father Rogelio, the interviewer, highlighted that the bishop’s figure is essential to the life of the diocese and that the threats, although originating on social media, remain disturbing. Espinosa, for his part, reiterated that he has never seen anyone as an enemy and that he does not wish to enter the game of polarization. “Do not be deceived by these situations and I could say by these lies… pray for a servant, but also for the diocese and for Mexico, that our country may walk paths of justice and peace”, he insisted.
The full interview can be viewed here: