The Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) released its traditional Christmas and New Year 2026 Message, titled “From the Manger to Hope,” signed by its president, the Bishop of Cuernavaca, Ramón Castro Castro, and the general secretary, the auxiliary bishop of Mexico, Héctor M. Pérez Villarreal.
In the document, the bishops acknowledge the “unresolved challenges” facing the country, but invite a change of perspective toward “the silence of the manger” to discover in the Child of Bethlehem the certainty that God never abandons his people. Quoting Saint Augustine, they recall the mystery of the Incarnation: God becomes small and vulnerable to heal what is broken and bring brothers and sisters closer together.
A central place is given to the family, presented as the “sanctuary” chosen by God to enter history. Joseph and Mary, in their poverty and search for shelter, show that simple, faithful, and everyday love is stronger than any threat. The prelates quote Pope Leo XIV, who in his recent homily for the feast of Guadalupe asked the Virgin to strengthen Mexican families so that they may be a “school of faith” amid storms and uncertainties.
Our Lady of Guadalupe holds a prominent chapter. The bishops call her the “bearer of God’s love” and recall that her tilma was “America’s first manger.” They once again incorporate words from Pope Leo XIV, who highlighted the comforting question of the Virgin: “Am I not here, I who am your mother?” That maternal presence, they affirm, sustains when life becomes unbearable and guides toward obedience to Christ: “Do whatever he tells you.”
The message looks to the future with two concrete horizons. First, the preparation for the V Centenary of the Guadalupan Event in 2031, for which the Intercontinental Guadalupan Novena and the pastoral motto “One Tilma, One Heart” seek to renew faith and rebuild Mexico’s wounded social fabric. Second, the year 2026 as the “year of hope,” commemorating the centenary of the martyrs’ cry “Long live Christ the King!” during the religious persecution. The bishops invite that the memory of the martyrs not be nostalgia, but prophecy that impels today a witness to the Kingdom of peace, justice, and love.
In a tone of pastoral urgency, the prelates ask the Virgin to especially accompany young people, keeping them away from crime, addictions, and a life without meaning. They also echo the papal plea for Mexico not to divide into irreconcilable factions nor allow hatred or lies to mark its history. “Reconciliation is not weakness; it is the strength of those who know that only love builds,” they emphasize.
The document concludes with a fervent wish: that the Child of Bethlehem renew his presence in hearts, that the Holy Family turn homes into sanctuaries of life and faith, and that 2026 be a year of grace to continue building the “Little Sacred House” that Mary requested on Tepeyac: a Mexico where God is exalted and every child of his finds a home.
With the traditional exclamations “Merry Christmas!”, “Happy and Blessed New Year 2026!”, “Long live Christ the King!” and “Long live Saint Mary of Guadalupe!”, the Mexican bishops offer this message as a balm of hope amid the difficulties the country is experiencing, inviting everyone—families, young people, the sick, the lonely, and migrants—to trust that “hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured into our hearts” (Rom 5:5).
The full message can be read here:
De la Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano. Mensaje por la Navidad 2025 y Año Nuevo 2025