Francisco Moreno Barrón, the archbishop of Tijuana, Mexico, condemns 20 attacks in Baja California
Religion

Francisco Moreno Barrón, the archbishop of Tijuana, Mexico, condemns 20 attacks in Baja California

Firefighters work at the scene of a burnt collective transport vehicle after it was set on fire by unidentified individuals in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on Aug. 12, 2022. / Photo by GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images

The archbishop of Tijuana, Mexico, across the border from metro San Diego in the United States, Francisco Moreno Barrón, denounced the 20 attacks carried out in numerous communities in the state of Baja California.

The archbishop released a statement on August 13 addressing the arson of public transit vehicles by armed persons on August 12 in Tijuana, Tecate, Ensenada, Mexicali, and Rosarito, which are border cities with the United States or nearby.

“I condemn this painful scenario that harms the entire society, which is suffering the consequences of problems that must find other ways of being solved, never with the violence that always causes more violence,” the archbishop stressed.

Witnesses to some of the instances, as reported by El Universal, said that the armed men stopped the cars, intimidated the drivers, forced them to out with all their passengers, and then poured gasoline on the vehicles before setting them on fire.

It is unknown what motivated the attacks, but the mindless bloodshed may be tied to territorial battles between competing cartels.

On Twitter, the governor of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Ávila Olvera, condemned the violence and said that some individuals responsible for the incidents that occurred “have already been arrested. It’s important to remain calm, we will keep you informed.”

Moreno also asked people to “stay calm” and “be informed through official or reliable means of communication, avoid false or alarmist messages and create networks of true information and social support.”

“With thousands of people without public transport on the streets and trying to get home,” the archbishop said he appreciated and was thankful for the efforts made in solidarity with the stranded passengers to help them.

The attacks occurred one day after a day of violence in Ciudad Juárez, located across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, in which at least eleven people were killed.

The archbishop of Tijuana urged the faithful to offer the following prayer for peace in Mexico and the state of Baja California after stating that he is actively watching information from state and local authorities about public safety issues:

Lord Jesus, you are our peace.

Look at our homeland harmed by violence

and dispersed by fear and insecurity.

Comfort the pain of those who suffer.

Give success to the decisions of those who govern us.

Touch the hearts of those who forget that

we are brothers and cause suffering and death;

give them the gift of conversion.

Protect families, our children,

adolescents and young people, our towns and communities.

That as your missionary disciples, responsible citizens,

we may know how to be promoters of justice and peace,

so that in you, our peoples may have a decent life.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Amen.

Related posts:

  1. Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, the Archbishop of Guadalajara reveals he was stopped and questioned at a checkpoint manned by drug traffickers last week in MexicoThe Archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, revealed last week that he was stopped and questioned at a checkpoint manned by drug traffickers while...
  2. While on a visit to the northern region of Mexico’s Jalisco state, Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, the Archbishop of Guadalajara, disclosed that he was stopped and questioned last week at a checkpoint manned by drug traffickersCardinal Francisco Robles Ortega / Credit: Archbishopric of Guadalajara Press While on a visit to the northern region of Mexico’s Jalisco state, Cardinal Francisco Robles...
  3. Alaska archbishop condemns attacks on Catholic churchThis photo shows the extent of the damage to St. Andrew Catholic Church. It has been edited to blur the spraypainted phallic images. / St....
  4. South Wales search party looking for Jamie Moreno finds another body in CardiffA search party consisting of members of the public looking for clues about the disappearance of Jamie Moreno, who had been missing for three years,...
  5. San Francisco politician who wants reparations also wanted to defund policeHillary Ronen’s progressive policies draw both support and criticism in San FranciscoHillary Ronen, a progressive liberal politician, is among the 11 supervisors who will decide on a reparations plan for San Francisco’s black residents. The plan...
  6. U.S. workers in Tijuana urged to “shelter in place”Gang violence erupted in the Mexican border towns of Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito, and Ensenada, resulting in car fires and traffic blockades. Because of the violence,...
  7. Ten car fires in Tijuana prompt the US authorities to shelter-in-placeThe US government has advised its personnel in Tijuana to avoid public spaces, seek shelter, and continue to follow local media reports as violence in...
  8. As violence increases in Tijuana, the US government has told its employees to hide in placeAs violence in the Mexican border city of Tijuana continues to rise, the US government has instructed its personnel there to avoid public spaces, take...
  9. Mexican authorities searching for ‘Ted Bundy’ serial killer after 3 deaths in TijuanaA state prosecutor in Tijuana, Mexico, warns that three recent murders in the city along the U.S.-Mexico border share similarities with those committed by the...
  10. Bishop Barron has been appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Diocese of Minnesota.Pope Francis has named Bishop Robert Barron to lead the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, according to the Vatican. Since 2015, Barron has served as...