In a significant move to address the ongoing crisis of disappeared persons, the Archdiocese of Mexico has announced the installation of ‘Peace Mailboxes’ in its 420 parishes. This initiative aims to collect anonymous information that could lead to the location of missing individuals, with the first mailboxes to be placed in areas with a high incidence of disappearances, such as Ajusco.
Church Responds to Families’ Pleas Ahead of International Day
The announcement was made on the eve of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed annually on August 30. During a meeting held yesterday with searching families, Auxiliary Bishop Francisco Javier Acero Pérez instructed all archdiocesan temples to pray for the disappeared and their loved ones this coming Sunday, as mandated by the Primate Archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes.
Bishop Acero Pérez reiterated the Church’s call for authorities to meet and listen to the searching mothers. “They are in sorrow because they receive singers, they receive animals, and they are not yet within that scope. Let them be received, they do no harm. Receiving the tears of one’s neighbor does a lot of good. It humanizes politics. Let them listen to the victims. Before speeches, they need understanding and answers,” he emphasized.
He also made a fervent plea to those involved in organized crime: “To those who participate in organized crime and have chosen the path of violence, let us live in peace. Killing is a sin and a crime. Hand over your weapons. We also pray for you. Convert, I beg you in the name of all these mothers and all the people suffering violence.”
Anonymous Information and Hope for Reunions
Grandmothers and mothers at the meeting expressed a unified sentiment: “All we want is to find our children. The information in the Peace Mailboxes will be anonymous; no one will be judged. The Church has helped us, given us comfort, and we have hope that our children will return home.”
Guadalupe Alejandra Aguilar Jáuregui shared her poignant testimony, recounting the disappearance of her daughter Yoselín Pérez Aguilar on March 31, 2022, and her son Juan Jesús on September 23, 2017. Tragically, her husband, Juan Arturo Pérez Gámez, was murdered while searching for their son, and her 16-year-old daughter, Guadalupe Alejandra, was murdered in 2022 for also searching and reporting organized crime.
This harrowing experience forced Ms. Aguilar Jáuregui to flee Guanajuato. “I am from Guanajuato. I would like to ask the Church for support for displaced persons, because when I arrived here, I slept on cardboard, I had no clothes, and I left with only what I was wearing. The federal mechanism only gave me refuge last December, and what good is it if they told me it will only be until December? If I am still alive, it is for a reason, and thank God I am standing.”
She tearfully recounted a miracle: “Since my son Juan Jesús disappeared, I didn’t even know how to pray the Rosary, and from then on, I started praying every day. My son was returned to me on December 12. This is not a coincidence; it is a miracle, because after five years, he was returned to me. Today I have cried like I haven’t cried in months, because I have no one to talk to,” she expressed, supported by the attending families chanting, “You are not alone, you are not alone!”
Context of the Disappearance Crisis in Mexico
The installation of ‘Peace Mailboxes’ underscores the severe and ongoing crisis of disappeared persons in Mexico. The anonymous nature of the mailboxes aims to encourage individuals with information to come forward without fear of reprisal, a critical factor in a country where organized crime often plays a role in such disappearances.
This initiative follows previous efforts by civil society and religious organizations to address the issue. The Church’s direct involvement, by utilizing its extensive network of parishes, represents a significant step in mobilizing community resources and providing a safe channel for information.
The call for authorities to listen to the families highlights a persistent demand for greater governmental action and empathy in dealing with the victims of forced disappearances. The comparison to receiving celebrities and animals, while neglecting the pleas of searching mothers, serves as a stark criticism of current priorities.
The Archdiocese’s commitment to praying for the disappeared and their families also provides much-needed spiritual support and solidarity to those enduring immense suffering and uncertainty.
This effort by the Catholic Church in Mexico City reflects a broader societal push for accountability, justice, and the fundamental right to know the fate of missing loved ones.
