Death camp in Mexico: Church denounces ‘cruelty and human wretchedness’

Puebla, Mexico, Mar 14, 2025 / 17:10 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church in Mexico expressed its “profound indignation and grief” following the discovery of an organized crime training and extermination camp on a ranch in Jalisco state where clandestine crematoriums were found.

The site was located on the Izaguirre ranch in the Teuchitlán administrative district, about 40 miles from Guadalajara, the state capital, by the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco group (Searching Warriors of Jalisco), an organization of families of disappeared persons searching for clandestine graves in the hope of finding the remains of their loved ones.

In Latin America, “disappeared” is often used as an adjective and a verb. “He was disappeared” means the person was abducted and is most likely dead. 

According to the Jalisco state attorney general’s office, so far “six lots of bones have been discovered  in four locations on the property” that would correspond to more than 200 victims.

The site was already known to authorities since the National Guard carried out an operation on Sept. 18, 2024, during which 10 people were arrested, according to the attorney general’s office.

At the site, they found a tactical training area and a physical conditioning area as well as clothing and gear that would have been worn by both the criminals and their victims.

One of the ‘cruelest expressions of evil’

In its March 12 statement, the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym) described the discovery as “one of the cruelest expressions of evil and human wretchedness that we have witnessed in our country.”

The Mexican bishops noted that these acts “directly attack the sacred dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God.”

The prelates also criticized the official figures provided by Mexican authorities regarding violence. “We express our surprise that first-degree murders are supposedly down 15%, but they are trying to hide the fact that disappearances are up 40%. Unfortunately, the majority of these victims are our young people,” the CEM pointed out.

According to the website of Mexico’s Ministry of the Interior, whose data covers the period from Dec. 31, 1952, to March 14 of this year, there are 124,179 missing and unaccounted-for persons in the country, with Jalisco being the state with the highest number of cases.

The bishops called on authorities to implement effective policies to prevent “these atrocious crimes and ensure their non-repetition” while demanding that they stop “evading their responsibility or trying to hide this reality” of violence in the country.

A day after the CEM statement, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum referred to the bishops’ claim at a March 13 press conference and said their information was erroneous.

“We will keep you informed. But the episcopate does not have the correct information, and we are happy to ask the Ministry of the Interior to contact them to explain that this is not the case,” she said.

Remembering the disappeared during Lent

The Mexican bishops also called on Catholics to take advantage of this Lenten season to “pray earnestly for the disappeared, accompany the victims, and contribute to the reconstruction of the social fabric.”

They also pledged to “be a voice for those without a voice and to collaborate tirelessly in building a country where justice, truth, and unrestricted respect for human dignity prevail.”

In response to the gruesome discovery, several events will be held to pray and express solidarity with the victims and their families:

• Mass for the disappeared: The auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico City, Francisco Javier Acero, will offer a Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City at 3 p.m. local time on March 15 in honor of the disappeared persons and in support of their families.

• Vigil and national mourning: The same day at 5 p.m. local time the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious of Mexico (CIRM) will hold a vigil on the esplanade of Mexico City’s Zócalo (large central square) in front of the cathedral. “With 400 shoes and 400 candles, let us remember those who have been victims of violence and forced disappearance. Let us join in raising our voices and showing our solidarity as a Church and as a society,” CIRM said in its appeal to the community.

• Day of prayer and consolation: On March 16 in the town of Teuchitlán in Jalisco state, a pilgrimage and Mass will be held for the victims of violence and their families.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262753/death-camp-in-mexico-church-denounces-cruelty-and-human-wretchedness