The Church in Change

Social Change in Contemporary Latin America looks at the social and political problems presented by the discrepancy between the officially massive support for Catholicism in the countries of Latin America (the blog notes that trust levels for the Catholic Church run well into the 70 and even 80 percent mark), and the fact that social and political change in this region of the globe is currently posing a major headache for Vatican policy. So far the new Pope has remained silent on Latin America, preferring to concentrate on such European-focused issues as the desired rapproachement between Catholicism and the Russian Orthodox Church. The blog considers that while this may be a worthy cause, the issue of the Catholic Church's role in Latin America is even more pressing:

However, it would be a huge mistake if the Vatican forgets Latin America. In Latin America, the Church faces equally important challenges that require not only resources, but above all the imagination and compromise of the church’s grassroots organizations, hierarchies, and the laypersons. Moreover, unlike Europe, where it is forced to seek collaboration and support from the Orthodox churches, in Latin America the Church goes by itself.

Elsewhere, on specifically Mexico-related matters, the blog has an interesting post on the political labyrinth of the gubernatorial election in Mexico state, and its implications for the national presidential election scheduled for 2006.