Mexico

Where Persecution Comes From

The strong presence of corruption at all levels of the Mexican government has resulted in various forms of persecution in the country due to a lack of protections for Christians. Criminal groups attack priests and pastors, while indigenous leaders attack converts to Christianity. In recent years, the secular ideology has become more prominent in the country, and associated groups are intent on eliminating religious expression in the public domain altogether. While the Roman Catholic Church continues to enjoy certain privileges, Christian groups are being disadvantaged, especially newer movements such as Pentecostalism and the Catholic Renewal Movement.

How Christians are Suffering

Believers in Mexico experience varying degrees and forms of Christian persecution. Secular intolerance affects all Christians who publically express their religious convictions, resulting in harassment, criticism and ridicule. In the regions they control, criminal groups persecute believers and churches, issuing death threats and murdering Christian leaders to silence them. These groups view Christian ministry as a threat to the criminal agenda. Meanwhile, indigenous Christians are often punished for abandoning tribal customs, resulting in expulsion from their homes. And Christian denominations outside the Roman Catholic Church experience pressure and discrimination as minorities.

Examples

In 2017, Christian converts from the indigenous communities of Chiapas and Jalisco faced economic sanctions, denial of access to basic services, and expulsion from their communities.

In June 2017, a Roman Catholic priest was killed in a church in Los Reyes La Paz in the State of Mexico. Since President Enrique Peña took office in 2012, 18 priests have been murdered.

In July 2017, the Mexican National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination (CONAPRED) officially declared that reorientation therapies for homosexuals (like those run by the Christian-based organization Exodus Latin America) are violent and discriminatory, making them unavailable to Christians who would choose to use them.