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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Authorities Thwart Assassination Attempt on Bishop of Apatzingán

Borderland Beat

Sunday night, members of the Federal Police defused an alleged plan by the 'Knights Templar' to assassinate Apatzingán bishop, Miguel Patino after receiving information via satellite that 'Knights Templar' planned an attempt on the bishop's life. This threat followed a public complaint by the bishop on Oct 16 in his Pastoral Letter saying that the valley of Tierra Caliente Apatzingán is under the control of organized crime. "there are increased kidnappings, abductions, killings, the collection of 'quota' is widespread and entire families have emigrated by fear and the insecurity we are living."

Bishop calls Apatzingán a failed state

According to information from Father Gregorio Lopez, of the Diocese of Apatzingán, the Bishop was taken to a military barracks. A few hours later, the Army stormed the Public Security Directorate of Lazaro Cardenas, where they disarmed and took control corporation security at the port. 

Mexican Troops Take a Key Port 

Later, Secretary of Government of Michoacán, Jaime Mares, denied that the Bishop of Apatzingán had been quartered in the 43rd Military Zone. State government authorities until last night indicated that the prelate had requested personal safety. Jaime Mares, government secretary, said that neither had the bishop requested any backup, "nor was the bishop was protected in Military Zone No. 43, I can say that factually, because I confirmed both with one and with the other, I refer particularly to the head of the military zone and to the bishop himself this situation. 

Asked about the prevailing security situation in the municipalities of Tierra Caliente, Jaime Mares Camarena said there is still concern among the population of the area,  the government secretary added that "naturally there are indications is a concern from citizens who can not deny, at this time  and we can say that there is in the region and surrounding municipalities Apatzingán there's a tense calm". 

The clergy of Apatzingán send register of deaths - 920- to the Vatican 


So far this year in the diocese of Apatzingan has documented in its jurisdiction 920 deaths attributed to organized crime groups. These are the statistics it has sent to the Vatican.

At Sunday 11:00 am  Mass at at the Cathedral of Apatzingán, Michoacán, Bishop Miguel Patino Velázquez pays homage to the victims killed by criminal violence.

From the front pews of the parish, the minister looks smaller than he actually is. During his sermon he urged parioners to lose their fear of writing the names of their dead relatives on paper and upon the white wooden cross placed on the altar for that purpose.

"Those are not the dead ones that have been a cause of violence," He gently chided, "Do not even dare put their grief there on paper. Dare to put the names of your dead there, to show the Lord to remember this November 2. "

the bishop won national visibility with his pastoral letter of October 15 that gave an x-ray assessment of organized crime in the region and also by gathering together five thousand souls in a procession for peace on 31 October.

However, it was with the spread of the letter that intimidation arrived.

The pastor of the cathedral, Salvador M. Gonzalez, said: "Organized crime did not like the letter. They sent me five threats and one of them was for the bishop. "

For a year, the diocese, which includes 27 parishes and 70 priests of the Sierra Madre del Sur and Tierra Caliente, sent a weekly record to the director of human rights, Cardinal Karl Josef Becker at the Vatican.

The cases that have been reported by their believers to diocese leaders through the telephone line, mail or verbal information.  During 2013 are: 920 people have been killed, 280 abductions, 42 kidnappings, 238 missing, and there's been 3,000 displaced families, and 200 dispossessed of their lands.

Father Salvador M. Gonzalez expands upon the intimidation against bishop Patiño.

"Here was a man who directly waited and thank God the bishop was already gone.
"They sent people to us. There were people who took our very frightened towns people over there, where (criminals) rule and said that if the bishop kept up what he was talking about, that they would face the consequences, "he says.

In one of the cases "it was a good person, they took advantage of her, they sent the message, ,because she was crying," she tells the priest in tears. Is justified: "It is up to the people mourn, because we have nothing left to do but cry."

Father Gregorio Lopez on his own without details says: "Last week an armed group threatened the father."

However, the minister denies that he received these warnings: "For me so far, I have not received any threats. As you are saying that's how people live, I'm not afraid. I think if we did not talk, we would not be with our people. "

Father Lopez, in turn, told El Universal that Sunday night November 3 "a caravan of 40 federal units" took the bishop from the religious episcopal house and moved him to a safe place where it is not possible for the Templar Knights to attack him.

Javier Cortes, vicar general, scorned the warning: "No longer a rumor. The Bishop already left to go to a meeting of priests south of Michoacan. "

Diocesan Weapons
The priest Lopez explains that the registration of cases has been developed thanks to the three radio programs, each lasting half an hour, which is broadcast daily on three different stations.

They convened: "If you have a missing, abducted, or kidnapped report them by phone, send a fax or an email".

"The Vatican-he detailed requires names of people, very reliable, we keep them like a state secret".

As part of the information gathered, it was reported, for example, that the average number of young people admitted to the seminary in San Jose in San Juan de los Bananas, was drastically reduced from the real number.

Each year 105 students arrived, but this year only the number reached 25, of which only 11 stayed. 

"The seminary  is closed" he tells the interviewer, "they went there to shoot."
The clear gaze of bishop Miguel Patino rests in red rimmed eyes within deep purple circles. However, they soften with the permanent trace of his smile.

The 75 year old man is amazed by the national publicity granted to his letter entitled "Let's make Michoacan a state of rights" which has brought him so many various interviews.

"We never thought that the letter would leave the diocese because it is dedicated to the people of the diocese, of good will".

The document denounces violence in the region, the increasing cases of kidnappings, abductions, murders, extortion and displaced families.

He wrote: "The state of Michoacan has all the characteristics of a failed state. The criminal groups: Familia Michoacana, Los Zetas, New Generation, Knights Templar, mainly fight over the state like a  booty or a prize."

The Coast: for entry of drugs and supplies of synthetic drugs, the Sierra Madre del Sur and avocado area: for the cultivation of marijuana and poppy, the establishment of laboratories for the production of synthetic drugs and shelter of the criminal groups. "

When asked about the power vacuum in Michoacán, the bishop responds simply about the daily harassment of the regional population suffering at the hands of organized crime.

"When there are problems, there are no buses and that is very serious, who is the one who orders to have blackouts? Who is mandating that there's no tortilla? And that there is no gasoline? In who's hands and  who we are? And the authorities, very happy, " said the minister.

Diocese beaten
Father Gonzalez says that this letter is not the first against organized crime that the bishop has published. In the years 1985-2012, the was the written response to the five murder cases of priests of the diocese.
The last was for the father Victor Manuel Diosdado, of the parish of San Jose de Chila, whose pastoral labors provoked the rancor of the drug trafficking cartels that cost him his life.

"They were angry and wanted to show him and they went out and killed him," he says.
the diócesis of Apatzingán covers the territory where community police are acting in self-defense of four municipalities (Tepalcatepec Coalcomán, Buenavista and Aguililla), and recently emerged on October 26 in this municipal.

Patiño is reserved on having spoken about the topic. The emergence of the self-defense groups is explained by “the high quotas” that the crime organizations are demanding from the population. And he(she) wonders: "Who defends the community from the organized crime.

Commenting on self-defense groups : "What must be recognized is that they dared to deal with these people who were doing the exact opposite of what is common good." For the bishop, the victims are all human beings, "people die from crime, police and civilian community."

For this reason, he says his main weapon that he is promoting is what he calls the "Pastoral Comfort."

This consists of "praying for the people who died and their families, and one of the most important things is to hear their story, and listen to the story which is very sad, because they had so much fear, they do not want to tell it to anyone."

Although responsible for the three levels of the lack of authority, he thinks peace should be a shared achievement: "Peace is not in weapons, it isn't in this region as a bunker, peace is on the conscience of each person, and as we have no peace within, we seek out war."

Finally: "The long-awaited peace will cost a lot of work".


Sources: Diario, Vanguardia

26 comments:

  1. It is a good thing that they have saved the Bishop's life. But if you read between the lines - he is also complaining that his own Catholic churches are needing to pay cuota like everyone else.

    BTW, how is Chivis doing? Any word about her??

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  2. Time to send the Roman Catholic Crusaders. Save these God forsaken people!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Religion is the opium of the poor"
      Said some body.
      religion should be left to your heart,to your home,to the church.
      When religion starts getting in the middle at this late time,it looks like they are just jumping ship,like rats always do when the ship starts sinking.
      I hope the captain of the ship,la puta tuta stays with the ship when it sinks.
      we all had enough of his hillbilly brand of pseudo-religious popolitics!
      politica ranchera pseudo-religiosa

      Delete
  3. We call this guy "the Death Wish " Bishop of Apatzingán. He is a favorite in our house. Thanks for your coverage of this lively, colorful bishop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This guy's heart only matches his balls in size. Followed closely by the size of his big, big mouth!

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  5. Have you noticed the Bishop is always heating up the plaza-always poking the bear? Stirring the pot too! Keep him safe, Mich. while you deny all related security problems.

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  6. Good for this bishop stick it to those CT parasites, may God bless you.

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  7. This whole, no, no, not here bullshit is just sickening, i wish your countries gvt wasn't so worried about keeping up their bloated face mask politics. Always denying, always looking away. I thought mexican politics was tough and stared fiercely in the face of adversity, i guess it is so bad there is nothing left to do but live in denial.. poor bishop, the templars supposedly hold thir catholic roots as sacred but when their sins are pointed out they cant just take it in stride, they have to get insulted and start assassinating folks, thats when you know your shit is weak, when you cant stand up to criticism without getting violent.. I bet these cartels hate these boards...

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  8. This guy really should take more care. He hasn't been getting enough sleep. He probably thinks , " I can rest when I'm dead!"

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  9. Why would anyone want to assasinate a Holy Man? Utterly disgusting they would stoop that f'ing low.

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  10. Why does the Michoacan government secretary need to lie all the time. He was telling lies during the power outage situation. It is such a feeble way to run a state with an official spouting lies. Havana you should just erase parts with him in it. He is ridiculous.

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  11. He is in los Caballeros sights for sure ! Totally suicidal, clergy dude. good story Chivas.

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  12. A part of me respects him poking the tiger that is the Knights Templar

    He knows the risks he's taking but also takes into account no matter what happens the Government will get backlash should anything happen to him showing how even a high ranking member of the Vatican is not safe in Mexico and force them address their security situation or risk loosing face in the international community.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dios este con la gente honesta de Michoacan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 3:25- de acuerdo mi amigo! Gracias!

      Delete
  14. Love this guy and take my hat off to him for not kow towing to the Cabelleros. Stay safe Godly headcase!

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  15. This man understands the scene and has worked tiirelessly for the people of Apatzigán. Can't imagine what the Vatican will make of his Death List of parishners in his jurisdiction.

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  16. Goes to show the level of technology that the Mexican Gov. has to eavesdrop on communications that when a potential high level religious leader is to be whacked by a cartel, the government swoops in to save them. It shows just how much the government can know or do, but fails to act when it comes to the struggle between good and bad as a whole.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The government has been too busy letting the CT take over the eradication of chilangoized cuauhtemito cardenas,El peje,the prd,and el pan,no unauthorized opposition welcome,now that the people are crying uncle pri/government for help, they will get help,taking over the land and
      government operations,and protected private concerns like mining...

      Delete
    2. Henry Kissinger proposed that when the people of the Americas have enough of the shenanigans of enough of the criminals,the peoples(of anywhere) will gladly welcome intervention (usually military,in advance of the pirate,I mean private interests that caused the mayhem in the first place)
      Tuta the puta, has denounced the selling out to the Chinese of Mexican assets,secession of michoacan has been proposed(somewhere BB),the EL PRISDENT did not like that,just for opening the snout too much,tutaaa! You are O U T!
      mark very well Henry kissingers words,we will see the continued pacification/invasion of Mexico,Mexico,M E X I C O!

      Delete
  17. I don't think the Mexican government would appreciate a man of cloth getting threatened much less anything worse. In the government should be furious about the sports announcer!

    ReplyDelete
  18. This old guy
    Never stops
    Working or
    fighing for his
    people. He is
    Buena Gente.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I see the irony since the true "Knights Templers" were holy land warriors, and endorsed by the pope in ancient times. Today the knight templers are plotting againt a Catholic bishop. The knight templers are truelly scum.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The religious fervours,of frenetic fanatics,is to be suspect always,jihadista/kamikazes with tunnel vision for nothing but the cause du jour,are not to be followed nor believed.

      Delete
  20. I'm getting spooked why aren't you answering how your friend chivis is?
    sending the love out to you chivis. Brooklyn is worried

    ReplyDelete
  21. IF,a big IF,chapo did not shot the Guadalajara Bishop,why did he have to get arrested for that?the arrelanuses did that,I am sure Jorge Hank rohn had something to do with it too,as the president of Mexico and the PRI at the time had issues with his biiig mouth,they just got el chapo because at the time he was "el mas pendejo","the dumbest fool" always pays for the broken dishes,not Jorge Hank rohn,his brother,el pri,el presidente,or the atracomulco group!

    ReplyDelete

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