Mexico: Country Dossier - December 2020 - Open Doors
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Mexico: Country Dossier December 2020 Open Doors International / World Watch Research December 2020 research@od.org
Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3
World Watch List 2021 .............................................................................................................. 3
Copyright notice ........................................................................................................................ 4
Sources and definitions ............................................................................................................. 4
Effect on data-gathering during COVID-19 pandemic............................................................... 4
External Links - Introduction ..................................................................................................... 5
WWL 2021 Short country profile / Mexico ............................................................................ 5
Brief country details .................................................................................................................. 5
Dominant persecution engines and drivers .............................................................................. 5
Brief description of the persecution situation .......................................................................... 6
Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period ............................................. 6
Specific examples of positive developments ............................................................................ 7
External Links - Short country profile ........................................................................................ 7
WWL 2021: Keys to understanding / Mexico ........................................................................ 8
Link for general background information ................................................................................. 8
Recent history ........................................................................................................................... 8
Political and legal landscape ..................................................................................................... 9
Religious landscape ................................................................................................................. 10
Economic landscape ................................................................................................................ 12
Social and cultural landscape .................................................................................................. 13
Technological landscape ......................................................................................................... 14
Security situation .................................................................................................................... 15
Trends analysis ........................................................................................................................ 16
External Links - Keys to understanding ................................................................................... 17
WWL 2021: Church information / Mexico ........................................................................... 19
Christian origins....................................................................................................................... 19
Church spectrum today ........................................................................................................... 19
WWL 2021: Persecution Dynamics / Mexico ....................................................................... 20
Reporting period ..................................................................................................................... 20
Position on the World Watch List ........................................................................................... 20
Persecution engines ................................................................................................................ 21
Drivers of persecution ............................................................................................................. 24
Areas where Christians face most difficulties ......................................................................... 26
1
Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
Christian communities and how they are affected ................................................................. 27
The Persecution pattern.......................................................................................................... 28
Pressure in the 5 spheres of life .............................................................................................. 28
Violence ................................................................................................................................... 34
5 Year trends ........................................................................................................................... 36
Gender-specific religious persecution Female ........................................................................ 37
Gender-specific religious persecution Male ........................................................................... 39
Persecution of other religious minorities................................................................................ 40
Future outlook......................................................................................................................... 40
External Links - Persecution Dynamics .................................................................................... 41
Further useful reports ........................................................................................................ 43
2
Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
Introduction
World Watch List 2021
Total Total Total Total Total
Private Family Community National Church Score Score Score Score Score
Rank Country Violence
life life life life life WWL WWL WWL WWL WWL
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
1 North Korea 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 11.1 94 94 94 94 92
2 Afghanistan 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 10.2 94 93 94 93 89
3 Somalia 16.5 16.7 16.6 16.6 16.3 9.8 92 92 91 91 91
4 Libya 15.6 15.4 15.9 16.3 16.3 12.4 92 90 87 86 78
5 Pakistan 13.9 14.2 15.1 14.9 13.5 16.7 88 88 87 86 88
6 Eritrea 14.6 14.9 15.9 15.9 15.4 11.1 88 87 86 86 82
7 Yemen 16.6 16.6 16.5 16.7 16.7 3.9 87 85 86 85 85
8 Iran 14.5 14.5 13.9 15.7 16.5 10.6 86 85 85 85 85
9 Nigeria 13.3 13.2 13.9 14.1 14.1 16.7 85 80 80 77 78
10 India 13.0 12.9 13.5 14.9 13.7 15.4 83 83 83 81 73
11 Iraq 13.6 14.6 14.2 14.8 13.8 11.5 82 76 79 86 86
12 Syria 13.3 13.9 13.5 14.5 14.0 12.0 81 82 82 76 86
13 Sudan 13.4 13.4 13.7 13.6 15.7 9.1 79 85 87 87 87
14 Saudi Arabia 15.1 13.9 14.4 15.8 16.6 2.2 78 79 77 79 76
15 Maldives 15.4 15.5 13.9 15.8 16.6 0.4 77 78 78 78 76
16 Egypt 12.5 13.2 11.5 12.7 11.0 14.1 75 76 76 70 65
17 China 12.6 9.7 12.0 13.2 15.4 11.1 74 70 65 57 57
18 Myanmar 11.9 12.0 13.1 12.9 12.3 11.9 74 73 71 65 62
19 Vietnam 12.1 8.8 12.7 14.0 14.5 10.0 72 72 70 69 71
20 Mauritania 14.3 14.0 13.5 14.1 13.6 1.9 71 68 67 57 55
21 Uzbekistan 15.1 12.9 14.1 12.2 15.7 1.3 71 73 74 73 71
22 Laos 12.1 10.2 13.6 13.5 14.3 6.9 71 72 71 67 64
23 Turkmenistan 14.5 11.3 13.8 13.3 15.7 1.5 70 70 69 68 67
24 Algeria 13.9 13.9 11.5 13.1 13.4 3.9 70 73 70 58 58
25 Turkey 12.5 11.5 10.8 13.3 11.6 9.3 69 63 66 62 57
26 Tunisia 12.0 13.1 10.4 11.5 13.2 7.4 67 64 63 62 61
27 Morocco 12.6 13.5 11.2 12.4 14.1 3.7 67 66 63 51 49
28 Mali 9.4 8.2 12.7 10.3 11.5 15.4 67 66 68 59 59
29 Qatar 14.0 13.9 10.8 13.1 14.1 1.5 67 66 62 63 66
30 Colombia 11.4 8.8 12.4 11.0 9.7 13.9 67 62 58 56 53
31 Bangladesh 11.5 10.3 13.0 11.3 10.1 10.6 67 63 58 58 63
32 Burkina Faso 9.4 9.7 12.0 9.4 11.8 14.3 67 66 48 - -
33 Tajikistan 14.0 12.3 11.9 12.5 13.2 2.2 66 65 65 65 58
34 Nepal 12.4 9.7 9.9 13.0 12.3 8.5 66 64 64 64 53
35 CAR 9.0 8.6 13.1 9.6 9.9 15.6 66 68 70 61 58
36 Ethiopia 9.9 8.5 10.7 10.3 10.8 14.4 65 63 65 62 64
37 Mexico 10.3 8.1 12.4 10.7 10.3 12.6 64 60 61 59 57
38 Jordan 13.1 13.9 11.4 11.6 12.4 2.0 64 64 65 66 63
39 Brunei 13.9 14.6 10.7 10.9 13.5 0.7 64 63 63 64 64
40 DRC 8.0 7.9 11.2 9.4 11.6 16.1 64 56 55 33 -
41 Kazakhstan 13.2 11.5 11.0 12.5 13.4 2.4 64 64 63 63 56
42 Cameroon 8.8 7.6 12.6 7.0 12.3 15.7 64 60 54 38 -
43 Bhutan 13.1 12.1 11.9 12.7 13.8 0.0 64 61 64 62 61
44 Oman 13.2 13.5 10.3 12.5 13.0 0.9 63 62 59 57 53
45 Mozambique 9.3 7.6 11.3 7.9 11.1 16.1 63 43 43 - -
46 Malaysia 12.1 14.3 12.9 11.5 10.0 2.4 63 62 60 65 60
47 Indonesia 11.5 11.4 12.4 10.7 9.3 7.8 63 60 65 59 55
48 Kuwait 13.2 13.5 9.9 12.2 13.2 1.1 63 62 60 61 57
49 Kenya 11.7 9.2 10.5 8.0 10.3 12.8 62 61 61 62 68
50 Comoros 12.5 11.1 11.4 11.3 14.2 1.9 62 57 56 56 56
-
3Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
Total Total Total Total Total
Private Family Community National Church Score Score Score Score Score
Rank Country Violence
life life life life life WWL WWL WWL WWL WWL
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
51 Cuba 10.9 7.7 11.8 12.9 13.4 5.4 62 52 49 49 47
52 Sri Lanka 12.2 9.1 11.7 12.2 9.7 7.0 62 65 58 57 55
53 UAE 13.4 13.3 9.7 12.0 12.4 1.1 62 60 58 58 55
54 Niger 9.4 9.5 13.3 7.2 11.6 10.6 62 60 52 45 47
55 Kyrgyzstan 12.9 10.3 11.2 10.4 12.0 1.3 58 57 56 54 48
Palestinian
56 12.5 13.3 9.1 10.4 11.7 0.9 58 60 57 60 64
Territories
57 Tanzania 9.3 10.8 10.3 8.6 8.7 10.2 58 55 52 53 59
Russian
58 12.3 8.0 10.2 10.5 12.1 3.9 57 60 60 51 46
Federation
59 Djibouti 12.3 12.3 10.3 10.0 11.2 0.0 56 56 56 56 57
60 Bahrain 12.1 12.5 9.1 10.7 10.5 0.9 56 55 55 57 54
61 Azerbaijan 12.8 9.8 9.4 11.1 12.6 0.0 56 57 57 57 52
62 Chad 11.5 8.2 10.2 9.6 10.3 3.7 53 56 48 40 -
63 Nicaragua 6.9 4.6 9.9 11.3 10.0 8.1 51 41 41 - -
64 Burundi 5.1 5.8 9.7 9.2 9.6 8.9 48 48 43 - -
65 Uganda 8.1 4.6 6.7 6.7 9.1 12.0 47 48 47 46 53
66 Guinea 10.3 7.5 8.3 7.0 8.1 5.9 47 45 46 - -
67 Honduras 6.8 5.0 10.6 7.6 9.0 7.6 46 39 38
68 Angola 6.4 3.6 7.0 10.1 11.4 7.2 46 43 42 - -
69 South Sudan 5.7 1.5 7.0 6.3 7.8 15.0 43 44 44 - -
70 Gambia 8.3 8.2 8.7 8.3 8.8 0.6 43 43 43 - -
71 Togo 9.2 6.7 9.3 7.1 9.8 0.7 43 41 42 - -
72 Rwanda 5.3 4.4 6.7 7.8 10.1 8.1 42 42 41 - -
73 Ivory Coast 9.8 8.6 8.2 5.5 6.6 3.3 42 42 43 - -
74 El Salvador 6.6 4.9 9.8 4.2 8.7 7.8 42 38 30
Copyright notice
No copyright - This report is the property of World Watch Research (WWR), the research
department of Open Doors International. It may be used and distributed free of charge, but
please always acknowledge WWR as the source.
Sources and definitions
• This country report is a collation of data and analysis based around Open Doors World
Watch List (WWL) and includes statistical information on world religions, Christian
denominations and people groups prepared by the World Christian Database (WCD).
• The highlighted links in the text can be found written out in full at the conclusion of each
main section under the heading “External links”.
• The WWL 2021 reporting period was 01 October 2019 - 30 September 2020.
• The definition of persecution used in WWL analysis is: “Any hostility experienced as a result
of one’s identification with Christ. This can include hostile attitudes, words and actions
towards Christians”. This broad definition includes (but is not limited to) restrictions,
pressure, discrimination, opposition, disinformation, injustice, intimidation, mistreatment,
marginalization, oppression, intolerance, infringement, violation, ostracism, hostilities,
harassment, abuse, violence, ethnic cleansing and genocide.
• The latest update of WWL Methodology including appendices can be found on the World
Watch List Documentation page of the Open Doors Analytical website (password: freedom).
Effect on data-gathering during COVID-19 pandemic
In the WWL 2021 reporting period, travel restrictions and other measures introduced by the
governments of various countries to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic did cause
delays and create the need for restructuring grass-roots research in some cases. Through the
agile cooperation of Open Doors field networks, research analysts, external experts and an
increased use of technological options, Open Doors is confident that the WWL 2021 scoring,
analysis and documentation has maintained required levels of quality and reliability.
4Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
External Links - Introduction
• Sources and definitions: World Watch List Documentation - http://opendoorsanalytical.org/world-watch-list-
documentation/
WWL 2021 Short country profile / Mexico
Brief country details
Mexico: Population (2020 UN estimate) Christians Chr%
133,870,000 128,229,000 95.8
Data source: Johnson T M and Zurlo G A, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, accessed February 2020)
Mexico: World Watch List Points WWL Rank
WWL 2021 64 37
WWL 2020 60 52
WWL 2019 61 39
WWL 2018 59 39
WWL 2017 57 41
Scores and ranks are shown above whenever the country scored 41 points or more in the WWL 2017-2021 reporting periods
Dominant persecution engines and drivers
Mexico:
Main Persecution Main drivers
engines
Ethnic group leaders, Non-Christian religious leaders, One's own (extended)
Clan oppression family, Citizens (people from the broader society), including mobs,
Government officials
Organized corruption
Organized crime cartels or networks, Government officials, Political parties
and crime
Secular intolerance Ideological pressure groups, Government officials, Political parties
Engines and Drivers are listed in order of strength. Only Very strong / Strong / Medium are shown here.
5Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
Brief description of the persecution situation
The increasing presence of criminal groups of different denominations and the struggle for
territorial control causes Christians and church leaders living in those areas to face a constant
risk of being targeted wherever they are perceived as being a threat to criminal operations and
are not obedient to group demands. In indigenous communities, those who decide to abandon
the community religious beliefs or syncretistic practices (commonly related to Catholicism), face
rejection and punishments such as fines, incarceration and forced displacement. Elsewhere,
intolerance of the Christian faith is increasing, especially when Christians openly express their
faith-based views on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, parental rights and religious
liberty. Non-discrimination laws promoted by ideological pressure groups (and the government
officials who support them) mean that any links between Christian faith and politics are placed
under very strict legal scrutiny.
Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period
• July 2020, Guerrero: According to Archbishop Salvador, during the COVID-19 lockdown in
the Diocese of Chilpancingo, several priests received death-threats, forcing them to hold
church services despite the fact that it was prohibited (La Silla Rota, 24 July 2020). The
threats were directed against the priests, their families and parishioners and apparently
came from criminal groups operating in Mexico State. Additionally, there were reports of
similar threats being received from “Los Zetas” or “Jalisco New Generation Cartel” against
priests in states such as Chiapas (Agenzia Fides, 28 April 2020) and Nuevo León (Heraldo,
23 April 2020).
• April 2020, Chihuahua: In a state with strong presence of narco-traffickers and other
criminal groups, the two sons of evangelical pastor Martín Bruno Escobar Ávila, president
of the Evangelical Ministerial Confraternity of Chihuahua, were violently murdered by
criminal groups (Eje Central, 01 May 2020). The young men worked in the congregation
with their father, who was well known for his public stance against violence, drugs and
corruption. This kind of violence is commonly used to intimidate religious leaders and
discourage church attendance. In another violent state, Morelos, the father of a Catholic
priest was shot in February 2020. He died of his wounds (La Silla Rota, 7 February 2020).
• March 2020: Aciprensa reported on 9 March 2020 that feminist groups involved in
International Women's Day marches had caused violent damage in various parts of Mexico:
o In Sonora, a feminist group damaged the exterior of the Hermosillo Cathedral and
attempted to enter to vandalize the interior.
o In Xalapa, in the Mexican state of Veracruz, feminist groups caused damage to the
Catholic Sacred Heart of Jesus church as well as to Catholic educational
establishments nearby.
o In Guadalajara, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, feminists covered the monument to
Fray Antonio Alcalde y Barriga with graffiti. He was a well-known 18th century
Roman Catholic bishop.
o In Mexico City, in addition to the damage caused to the Metropolitan Cathedral of
Mexico, graffiti was sprayed on the walls of the San Felipe de Jesús church, after
high church fences had been knocked down.
6Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
• January - May 2020: In the first few months of 2020, there were almost 12 Christian
buildings sprayed with offensive slogans such as “Take out your rosaries” (Milenio, 27
May 2020) and “Burn the rapist Church down”(Imagen del Golfo, 2 June 2020). This
vandalism was a reaction to discussions about abortion legislation.
• October 2019, Chiapas: According to Open Doors country researchers, all 31 members
of a young church in the Napite indigenous community were expelled frpm the
community. They were celebrating the sixth anniversary of their conversion and were
thus contradicting the orders of the ethnic authorities to not promote a faith different
to the Catholic rites accepted in the community. Four Christian leaders were imprisoned
before they were expelled with the other members of their church.
Specific examples of positive developments
• Due to state inefficiency and scarce resources during the COVID-19 crisis, Christian
groups cooperated with other sectors of society to bring food and aid to people in need
(Center for Strategic and International Studies, 8 April 2020).
• For many, the importance of the religious dimension of life became increasingly evident
during the COVID-19 crisis. Not only was material help offered by church groups but also
much-needed spiritual support for the sick and vulnerable. Activities such as prayer
chains and fasts were organized, with denominational differences playing little role in
many cases.
External Links - Short country profile
• Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period: priests received death-threats -
https://lasillarota.com/estados/amenazan-y-obligan-a-sacerdotes-a-oficiar-misas-en-guerrero-guerrero-misas-
cjng-los-zetas/416553
• Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period: Chiapas -
http://www.fides.org/en/news/67814-
AMERICA_MEXICO_Priest_threatened_with_death_but_the_Church_does_not_stop_in_defense_of_the_right
s_of_the_population
• Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period: Nuevo León -
https://www.heraldo.mx/irrumpe-en-misa-para-extorsionar-a-sacerdote/
• Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period: murdered -
https://www.ejecentral.com.mx/valor-de-la-palabra-ministros-de-culto-sufren-la-otra-pandemia/
• Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period: shot -
https://lasillarota.com/estados/violencia-pega-a-iglesia-y-a-religiosos-en-morelos-morelos-cuernavaca-iglesia-
catolica/359761
• Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period: feminist groups -
https://www.aciprensa.com/noticias/violentas-feministas-atacaron-iglesias-en-diversas-ciudades-de-mexico-
43444
• Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period: Take out your rosaries -
https://www.milenio.com/politica/comunidad/video-investigan-vandalismo-en-catedral-de-leon
• Specific examples of violations of rights in the reporting period: Burn the rapist Church down -
https://imagendelgolfo.mx/xalapa/interpone-iglesia-de-xalapa-denuncia-por-vandalismo-en-
templos/50019438
• Specific examples of positive developments: state inefficiency - https://www.csis.org/analysis/mexican-
governments-response-covid-19-insufficient
7Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
WWL 2021: Keys to understanding / Mexico
Link for general background information
• Mexico country profile - BBC News
Recent history
Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo made history when, on 16 September 1810, he gave a call
to arms that triggered the Mexican war of independence. On 27 September 1821, the Trigarante
army entered Mexico City and the Act of Independence of the Mexican Empire was signed the
following day (which was not recognized by the Spanish government until 1836). In October
1824, Guadalupe Victoria was declared the first president of Mexico.
After gaining independence, another important moment in history was the drafting of the
Constitution of 1857, a document in which the official separation of the State and the Catholic
Church was established. The main objective of the state was to secularize not only politics but
cultural and social life. Subsequently, a set of decrees issued between 1859 and 1863 aimed to
complete the process of separation of Church and State. The later Constitution of 1917
established the annulment of the Roman Catholic Church as a legal body in the country. In 1926,
the "Calles Law" - which sought to reduce the number of priests, restrict religious worship and
the freedom of belief - unleashed the so-called Cristero or Christian War (Boletin Informativo,
May 2003).
In July 2018, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (hereafter abbreviated to 'AMLO') won the
presidential elections, marking a milestone in Mexican politics; he is the first president who does
not belong to the main Mexican political parties, the PRI or the National Action Party (PAN), and
was elected with the highest number of votes ever. He ran as leader of the electoral coalition
'National Regeneration Movement' (MORENA) and had significant contact with churches during
his electoral campaign. Despite AMLO´S promises to tackle corruption and violence, the country
has continued to suffer from violence and insecurity. Additionally, accusations have been made
against the police and the National Guard regarding abuse of authority and human rights
violations (Justice in Mexico, 24 July 2020).
Due to the measures surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the country was plunged into one of
the biggest political, social and economic crises in recent history and highlighted weakness of
the government at such a crucial time. Unlike other Latin American countries, AMLO decided to
prioritize the economy over health, for which he was strongly criticized. At the state level,
churches had to follow the rules imposed by authorities which sometimes included the
cancellation of church services. Nonetheless, Christian communities became agents of solidarity
with those most in need, especially in areas not reached by the authorities and often dominated
by criminal groups.
8Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
Political and legal landscape
President AMLO took office in 2018. At the end of September 2020, popularity polls registered
62%% support (El Financiero, 5 October 2020). Even before the COVID-19 crisis began to bite,
AMLO had been criticized for his inefficient handling of the economic crisis and the increased
insecurity. These and other issues such as corruption, the lack of rule of law, the violation of
human rights and delayed criminal justice placed Mexico in 104th place out of 128 countries
evaluated in the 2020 World Justice Project (WJP, 11 March 2020).
AMLO's victory in 2018 and MORENA's majority in the Chamber of Deputies and Senators
resulted in a level of power which has led to a deepening of control and a loss of autonomy for
some institutions (La Politica Online, 18 June 2020). This situation could change, however, in the
forthcoming federal chamber elections to be held in 2021. Voting could seriously affect
MORENA's majority in Congress if discontent among the electorate continues (Mexico News
Daily, 23 June 2020).
The government has been blamed for dismantling and/or weakening state institutions under
AMLO´s austerity policy (World Politics Review, 8 July 2020). AMLO's promised "Fourth
Transformation" is becoming increasingly authoritarian (Cato Institute, 1 December 2019), as
can be seen in the use of the armed forces to implement government programs which control
social and economic sectors far beyond issues related to the country's security (El Universal, 25
July 2020). Additionally, the government's social policy was called into question for being
incompatible with sustainable funding over time. There are also signs of suppression targeting
media that cover corruption and political debate or that actively criticize the government
(Expansión Política, 26 May 2020).
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has denounced human rights violations by military personnel such
as torture to obtain confessions and extract information, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial
killings, and attacks on journalists and human rights defenders (HRW, World Report 2020). At
the same time, the Organization of American States (OAS) has expressed concern about the
situation of migrants and refugees in Mexico (IACHR, 7 February 2020), especially since the joint
public policies with the USA are having a direct impact on the human rights situation of migrants
(IACHR, 23 July 2019).
Finally, in the WWL 2021 reporting period, the 2020-2021 electoral process has begun. In the
upcoming election, 500 federal deputies will be elected. These elections are likely to define the
course for the second part of President AMLO's mandate, whose party currently dominates both
Houses.
Other issues to note:
• The political asylum granted to Evo Morales in November 2019 was not universally
accepted due to the apparent support this act signaled for a dictator accused of
corruption (Independent, 13 November 2019).
• The US border wall and the migrant phenomenon continued to be the subject of
agreements and disagreements between Mexico and the USA (The Washington Post, 6
July 2020).
9Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
• Mexico currently holds the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin
American and Caribbean States (CELAC)
• In July 2020, the Mexico-United States-Canada Treaty (T-MEC) entered into force.
Religious landscape
Number of
Mexico: Religious context %
adherents
Christians 128,229,000 95.8
Muslim 125,000 0.1
Hindu 12,000 0.0
Buddhist 30,500 0.0
Ethno-religionist 1,400,000 1.0
Jewish 40,000 0.0
Bahai 46,000 0.0
Atheist 150,000 0.1
Agnostic 3,800,000 2.8
Other 37,500 0.0
OTHER includes Chinese folk, New religionist, Sikh, Spiritist, Taoist, Confucianist, Jain,
Shintoist, Zoroastrian.
Data source: Johnson T M and Zurlo G A, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, accessed February 2020)
Although Christians make up 95.8% of the population of the country, an estimated 3% of the
population identify themselves as agnostic/atheist. This phenomenon is the result of strong
secular tendencies that have been driven by previous government policies. Mexico has no
official religion and no religious classes are taught in state schools. The state has remained
strictly secular and - until 1992 - the Mexican government did not have formal relations with and
did not officially recognize any church at all. In 1992, the Salinas government modified the
Constitution in order to give recognition to the various religions that exist in Mexico.
Today, Mexicans have the right to exercise any religion they please. The federal government
coordinates religious affairs through the Secretariat of Governance (SEGOB), which (together
with the General Directorate for Religious Associations -DGAR) promotes religious tolerance,
conducts conflict mediation and investigates cases of religious intolerance. According to the US
10Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
State Department's 2019 International Religious Freedom Report (USIRF), each of the 32 states
has offices with responsibility for religious affairs. According to the law regulating religious
organizations, church officials are not allowed to publicly express political opinions or hold public
office, and the state authorities cannot intervene in the internal life of religious associations
(USIRF 2019).
Religious language and symbols have featured regularly in the president's addresses. Especially
in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, President AMLO has alluded to the help religious faith
can give in face of such a crisis (CBC, 29 March 2020). However, critics suggest that the religious
references are just a strategy to connect with the Christian Mexican majority in order to gain
their support. Despite President AMLO´S initial close relationship with various Christian groups
such as the Alliance of Evangelical Churches (CONFRATERNICE) and his praise for their positive
cooperation in government social programs (La Silla Rota, 18 January 2020), he has since
distanced himself from certain actions and statements made by the Alliance, in order to
"respect" the principle of Church-State separation (Contra Réplica, 5 December 2019). Similarly,
President AMLO openly rejected the legislative bill which sought to eliminate phrases relating
to the "separation of the State and the Churches" from the Law of Religious Associations and
Public Worship (Crux Now, 19 December 2019). Therefore, despite his speeches and use of
religious language, the president's position in relation to the Church is not entirely clear,
especially in the public sphere.
As the COVID-19 pandemic reached Colombia, the authorities ordered the immediate
suspension of non-essential activities at the federal level, urging at the same time a voluntary
lockdown at home for those not participating in essential work activities. Consequently, religious
activities were also suspended. Up to August 2020, a regional “traffic light system” was
established for restarting activities. It has thus been possible for religious groups to restart their
activities in closed public spaces in a limited way according to the categorization of each state
(Maximum, High, Medium, Low). Activities related to the economy, culture and sport have
enjoyed less restrictions.
Christian values and views continued to be targeted by LGBTI and radical feminist groups in the
WWL 2021 reporting period. These ideological pressure groups criticize faith-based views
(Explica, 23 March 2020) and demand that church leaders do not get involved in public debates
on issues relating to abortion, same-sex marriage and comprehensive sex education, etc. (La
Jornada, 08 October 2019). There have even been attempts to censor politicians who give their
faith-based points of views or who publicly defend Christian values. Actions by Ideological
pressure groups have become increasingly aggressive as can be seen in the incidents involving
vandalism of Christian property (Crux, 11 March 2020). Faced with acts of vandalism from radical
feminist groups, Christian leaders have seen the need to file complaints with the authorities
(Imagen del Golfo, 02 June 2020). Church leaders have also been criticized for supporting the
reopening of churches for religious services. Also, in the WWL 2021 reporting period, Mexico
City approved a law criminalizing activities that go against free self-determination in matters of
gender. This means that church leaders or Christian groups can face legal action if they offer
support to any person who - even willingly - wants to deal with homosexual inclinations from a
Christian perspective (Reuters, 24 July 2020).
11Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
In a context of rising violence and insecurity, it has become frequent for Christian leaders to be
targeted by criminal groups. Killings, extortion, death threats and property vandalism have
become commonplace. See below in Security situation.
A special note about 'non-accepted Christians' in indigenous communities:
In indigenous communities, Christians face opposition where they reject the religious practices
and customs of the ethnic group to which they belong. This has led to indigenous leaders seeing
Christianity as a destabilizing element. Since ethnic leaders are those who administer justice in
their territories, the religious freedom of indigenous people is not duly guaranteed by local
(State) authorities where it concerns a religion differing from the community one. Therefore -
and only with regard to indigenous people - the term 'non-accepted Christians' is used in this
dossier to refer to those Christians who refuse to follow the ancestral or traditional beliefs of
the ethnic group to which they belong because it contradicts their faith. Thus, when syncretistic
religious customs related to Roman Catholic rites and ancestral religious customs that worship
nature are practiced in the indigenous community, 'non-accepted Christians' are those who
refuse to participate and consequently face hostility and rejection.
Economic landscape
As in most countries in the region, Mexico has sought to contain the spread of the COVID-19
virus through social isolation measures and restrictions on travel. These measures have had a
serious impact on the production and marketing chains, have caused the closure and massive
bankruptcy of companies and have generated enormous cuts in personnel and decreases in
wages. According to official information, around 12 million people lost their jobs in April 2020
alone.
According to UNDP 2019 report (page 300 onwards):
• Gross National Income (GNI) per capita: 17,628 (2018)
• GNI per capita women/men: 11,254 (women); 24,286 (men)
• Income inequality: 36.3%
• Population vulnerable to multidimensional poverty: 4.7%
According to World Bank's April 2020 update (accessed July 2020):
• Poverty: The incidence rate of poverty based on the national poverty line corresponded
to 41.9 % of the population in 2018, while in 2016 the poverty line corresponded to
43.6% of the population.
According to The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) report
published in April 2020:
• Remittances: Mexico is exposed to the contraction of the US economy and the reduction
of remittances from migrants. The report also indicates that the country will suffer from
the fall in the price of oil and as a result, a GDP growth 2020 of -6.5% is likely (ECLAC,
April 2020).
12Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
According to the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) in its Mexico Peace Index 2020:
• Violence: The economic impact of violence increased 38.8% between 2015 and 2019,
increasing annually, except in 2019. In per capita terms, the economic impact of the
violence was 36,129 pesos, more than five times the average monthly salary of a
Mexican worker.
According to the Bank of Mexico, in August 2020, 3.574 million dollars entered the country for
family remittances, 5.3% more compared to the same month of the previous year. Mexico
receives the third highest amount of remittances in the world, ahead of the Philippines, which
held third position for many years. Only China and India surpass Mexico in the amounts of
remittances received (BBVA, 7 October 2020).
The economic crisis has also affected Christian activities. In the case of the Catholic Church, the
General Secretary of the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM) indicated that because of
church closures and the suspension of religious services, many churches have been unable to
pay staff salaries etc. (La Jornada, 14 May 2020). Despite the economic difficulties, Christian
groups have managed to be a reliable channel for the distribution of food and aid to the needy
(Vatican News, 15 June 2020). In the case of Protestant churches, according to Open Doors
country researchers, 35% of the churches have closed down due to not having the means to pay
rent for their premises. In many rural churches, pastors had no income since there were no
offerings or tithes due to the economic crisis surrounding the COVID -19 pandemic.
Social and cultural landscape
Regarding indigenous communities, the Intercensal Survey 2015 reported that 12 million people
live in indigenous households - 10.6% of the population (CDI, 2015) and 21.5% of the population
self-identifies as indigenous (INEGI, 2015). The indigenous population is mainly located in rural
areas along the country's southern border (Oaxaca, Yucatan and Chiapas) and central-western
area (Hidalgo, Guerrero, Puebla and Jalisco).
According to the UNDP 2019 report (page 300) and the World Factbook (updated April 2020):
• Main ethnic groups: Mestizo (Amerindian Spanish) 62%, predominantly Amerindian
21%, Amerindian 7%, other 10% (mostly European) (2012 est.)
• Main languages: Spanish only: 92.7%; Spanish and indigenous languages: 5.7%;
indigenous only: 0.8%; unspecified 0.8%
• Urban population: 80.7% of total population
• Literacy rate: 95.4%
According to World Bank's April 2020 update (accessed July 2020):
• Education: School enrollment for pre-primary is 73.7% (2015); for primary 105.77%
(2017) and for secondary 104.4% (2017). The duration of compulsory education is 14
years. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) for Mexico (2017) is 1.039. This is the ratio of girls
to boys enrolled at primary and secondary levels in public and private schools.
• Unemployment: 3.483% (2019)
• IDPs/Refugees: The refugee population is 12,870 (2018).
13Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
According to the UN Global Human Development Indicators (2019):
• Human Development Index 2018: Mexico's DDI value is 0.767, which puts the country
in the high human development category, positioning it at rank 76 out of 189 countries
and territories. This is above the average of 0.750 for countries in the high human
development group and above the average of 0.759 for countries in Latin America and
the Caribbean. Between 1990 and 2018, Mexico’s HDI value increased from 0.652 to
0.767, a sustained growth of 17.8%.
• Life expectancy at birth: 75.0 years. From 1990 to 2018, Mexico’s life expectancy at birth
increased by 4.1 years.
• Gender inequality: Mexico has a 2018 Gender Inequality Index (GII) value of 0.334,
ranking it 74 out of 162 countries.
A major issue in the country is the ongoing migratory crisis. According to the Mexican
Commission for Refugee Aid (COMAR), by the end of October 2020, 32,272 migrants had made
applications for refugee status in Mexico, mostly from Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela,
Guatemala and Nicaragua (COMAR, 2 November 2020).
The United Nations Development Program has pointed out that inequalities in human
development in Mexico will worsen because of the COVID-19 crisis (UNDP, 14 July 2020). In the
health sector, deficiencies in infrastructure, material and human resources were evident. In the
education sector, the digital gap became evident, in addition to the increased vulnerability of
people working in the informal sector, indigenous communities and migrants, who suffered the
most from the economic consequences of confinement.
The activities of the Mexican churches have had a focus on helping the neediest communities in
the country, which became evident during the COVID-19 crisis. Church groups carried out
information campaigns about safety protocols, offered spiritual care and provided free
distribution of food and medicine. In many cases, this humanitarian work put Christians at risk,
as is explained below in the Security situation section below.
Technological landscape
According to World Internet Stats (accessed July 2020):
• Internet usage: 66.5% penetration - survey date: June 2020
• Facebook usage: 59.7% penetration – survey date: June 2020
According to World Bank's country profile (2018):
• Mobile phone subscriptions: 95.2 per 100 people.
According to Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net Report 2019:
• Mexico ranks as a "partly free" country in the 60/100 position. As the report states,
online manipulation tactics, high levels of digital violence against journalists, and
ongoing investigations around abusive surveillance practices persist.
14Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
According to Reporters Without Borders:
• Mexico is one of world’s deadliest countries for the media (World Press Freedom Index
2020). Journalists who cover sensitive political stories or report on organized crime
regularly receive threats and some are killed. Ownership of the broadcast media is
limited to just two media groups: Televisa and TV-Azteca own almost all the TV channels.
During the COVID-19 crisis, Christian leaders and churches have made use of the technological
resources at their disposal to continue many church activities. Church services, biblical training
and prayer days etc. have been held online for many congregations in order to keep to social
distancing guidelines. Online access has however not always been possible in the most remote
areas.
Security situation
Since 2015, there has been an increase in homicidal violence every year in Mexico (Animal
Politico, 21 July 2020). The National Urban Public Safety Survey indicated that during September
67.80% of people aged 18 years and over considered it unsafe to live in their city. (The Mazatlan
Post, 23 October 2020).
Drug trafficking is one of the main causes for the high degree of violence in the country. The
presence of various cartels (sometimes in collusion with co-opted authorities) often involves
disputes over the control of territories and transportation routes and the distribution of illegal
commodities. For several years, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has identified the
following seven organizations as dominant (Congressional Research Service, 28 July 2020):
• Sinaloa, Los Zetas,
• Tijuana/AFO, Juárez/CFO,
• Beltrán Leyva,
• Gulf,
• La Familia Michoacana,
• the Knights Templar,
• Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Generación (CJNG).
These are well-established Mexican drug trafficking organizations which go back many years.
However, many have now fragmented into many smaller groups.
President AMLO has relied on the armed forces and a military-led National Guard to help
suppress the levels of violence (American Society Council of the Americas, 17 July 2019).
However, these measures have been strongly criticized because in Mexico and surrounding
countries it has been repeatedly demonstrated that, far from reducing violence, the presence of
military personnel tends to increase the level of insecurity and crime (Business Insider, 12 May
2020). The National Guard has already been the subject of complaints for intimidating civil
society organizations that work with migrants at the border (CNDH, 2019), as well as for cases
of excessive use of force and human rights violations (Proceso, 26 May 2020).
15Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, criminal cartels have become agents in charge of providing
"assistance" through the delivery of food supplies and medicine to the inhabitants of the
communities under their control (Infobae, 7 April 2020). However, this is done to strengthen the
communities' loyalty and to exercise greater control over them, so that they can continue their
illegal practices without resistance from residents.
Within this context of violence and insecurity, many church leaders are receiving death threats,
especially those with greater involvement in politics and social action (Front Line Defenders, 30
April 2020). There have been cases of extortion (Eje Central, 01 May 2020), kidnappings (BPN,
28 April 2020) and even killings. Linked to this, churches are often the target of vandalism and
theft. The situation worsened during the COVID-19 crisis since government confinement
measures have also affected drug cartels and other criminal groups, which has led to a more
intense battle for territory control and drug distribution areas. Christian organizations dedicated
to providing humanitarian assistance to those most in need have thus suffered robberies and
extortion. Many of them could not carry out their activities without authorization from the local
criminal group in control. Because the state authorities are focused on preventing the spread of
the COVID-19 virus, it has been difficult for them to provide any security to the Christians
affected. It has been difficult for Christians to inform the authorities of such illegal activities and
threats due to the COVID-19 lockdown measures and fear of reprisals from criminal groups.
Also, in the WWL 2021 reporting period, members and groups related to the Zapatista Army of
National Liberation have been making attempts to advance their revolutionary movement
through exploiting the situation of the indigenous population.
Trends analysis
1) The levels of illegal activity by criminal groups continue to rise
In the context of COVID-19, criminal groups have expanded the areas under their control.
Especially those Christians opposing criminal activity have suffered retaliation in the form of
threats and violence, and it is increasingly difficult for church groups to carry out their
humanitarian and spiritual work.
2) The increased powers given to indigenous leadership does not benefit Christian converts
The autonomy of indigenous communities has always caused serious problems for Christian
converts. However, the COVID-19 crisis has worsened the situation since the community leaders'
authority over indigenous territories has been strengthened. Those who do not participate in a
community's ancestral customs and syncretistic practices (sometimes related to Catholicism)
face opposition, rejection, detention and forced displacement.
3) The influence of radical secularist groups is increasing
Over the last years, society is showing an increasing secularist tendency, which has increasingly
led Christians to self-censor. Christians have been denounced under anti-discrimination
regulations for expressing their faith-based points of view.
16Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
External Links - Keys to understanding
• Link for general background information: Mexico country profile - BBC News -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18095241
• Recent history: Cristero - https://www.senado.gob.mx/AHyML/index_htm_files/boletin_25.pdf
• Recent history: violations - https://justiceinmexico.org/amlo-deploys-national-guard-amidst-controversy/
• Political and legal landscape: 62% - https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/nacional/sube-popularidad-de-amlo-
en-septiembre-el-62-aprueba-su-mandato
• Political and legal landscape: 104th - https://worldjusticeproject.org/sites/default/files/documents/WJP-ROLI-
2020-Online_0.pdf
• Political and legal landscape: loss of autonomy - https://www.lapoliticaonline.com/nota/127377-the-
mexican-presidents-war-on-independent-agencies-and-regulatory-commissions-the-people-dont-see-any-
benefits/
• Political and legal landscape: affect - https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/morena-supporter-predicts-rough-
electoral-ride-ahead/
• Political and legal landscape: dismantling - https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/28894/in-mexico-
economy-suffers-from-amlo-s-promises-of-transformation
• Political and legal landscape: Fourth Transformation - https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-report/amlo-
fourth-transformation-mexico
• Political and legal landscape: control - https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/amlo-da-13-tareas-civiles-
militares
• Political and legal landscape: suppression - https://politica.expansion.mx/mexico/2020/05/26/las-agresiones-
a-la-prensa-subieron-en-el-primer-ano-de-amlo-alerta-articulo-19
• Political and legal landscape: denounced - https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/mexico
• Political and legal landscape: concern - http://www.oas.org/es/cidh/prensa/comunicados/2020/027.asp
• Political and legal landscape: joint - http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2019/180.asp
• Political and legal landscape: electoral process - https://www.forbes.com.mx/politica-comienza-el-proceso-
electoral-2021-el-mas-grande-de-la-historia-de-mexico/
• Religious landscape description: Report - https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-
religious-freedom/mexico/
• Religious landscape description: church officials - https://www.state.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2020/06/MEXICO-2019-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf
• Religious landscape description: religious faith - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mexico-s-choice-amulets-
or-science-to-fight-covid-19-1.5513973
• Religious landscape description: praise for their positive cooperation -
https://lasillarota.com/nacion/evangelicos-salvan-a-amlo-por-crisis-migratoria-en-el-sureste-migrantes-
evangelico-evangelicos-amlo/353852
• Religious landscape description: distanced - https://www.contrareplica.mx/nota--Niega-AMLO-intervencion-
de-Confraternice-en-Jovenes-Construyendo-el-Futuro201951244
• Religious landscape description: openly rejected - https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-
americas/2019/12/mexico-president-opposes-bill-to-end-church-state-separation/
• Religious landscape description: criticize - https://www.explica.co/coronavirus-gods-punishment-for-
abortion-homosexuality-and-euthanasia-bishop-of-cuernavaca/
• Religious landscape description: debates - https://www.jornada.com.mx/2019/10/08/sociedad/033n1soc
• Religious landscape description: vandalism - https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2020/03/mexican-
churches-attacked-during-womens-day-marches/
• Religious landscape description: complaints - https://imagendelgolfo.mx/xalapa/interpone-iglesia-de-xalapa-
denuncia-por-vandalismo-en-templos/50019438
• Religious landscape description: criminalizing activities - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-lgbtq-
idUSKCN24P2LL
• Economic landscape: 12 million -
https://www.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/saladeprensa/boletines/2020/iooe/iooe2020_10.pdf
• Economic landscape: UNDP 2019 report - http://www.hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019.pdf
• Economic landscape: World Bank's April 2020 update - https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/mexico
17Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
• Economic landscape: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean -
https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/45602/1/S2000313_es.pdf
• Economic landscape: -6.5% -
https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/45602/1/S2000313_es.pdf
• Economic landscape: Mexico Peace Index 2020 - https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/08/ENG-MPI-2020-web.pdf
• Economic landscape: - https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ENG-MPI-2020-
web.pdf
• Economic landscape: third highest amount of remittances in the world - https://www.bbva.com/es/mx/bbva-
mexico-estima-que-en-2020-las-remesas-alcanzaran-los-39500-mdd-8-4-pese-a-la-pandemia/
• Economic landscape: indicated that -
https://www.jornada.com.mx/ultimas/sociedad/2020/05/14/201cgolpea201d-economia-de-iglesia-catolica-
epidemia-de-covid-19-469.html
• Social and cultural landscape: 10.6% - https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/239921/01-
presentacion-indicadores-socioeconomicos-2015.pdf
• Social and cultural landscape: 21.5% -
http://internet.contenidos.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/productos/prod_serv/contenidos/espanol/bvinegi/produc
tos/nueva_estruc/702825078966.pdf
• Social and cultural landscape: UNDP 2019 report - http://www.hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019.pdf
• Social and cultural landscape: World Factbook - https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-
world-factbook/attachments/summaries/MX-summary.pdf
• Social and cultural landscape: World Bank's April 2020 update -
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/mexico
• Social and cultural landscape: UN Global Human Development Indicators -
http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/MEX
• Social and cultural landscape: applications -
https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/590302/CIERRE_OCTUBRE-2020__2-Nov-2020_.pdf
• Social and cultural landscape: worsen -
https://www.mx.undp.org/content/mexico/es/home/library/poverty/desarrollo-humano-y-covid-19-en-
mexico-.html
• Technological landscape: World Internet Stats - https://www.internetworldstats.com/central.htm#mx
• Technological landscape: World Bank's country profile -
https://databank.worldbank.org/views/reports/reportwidget.aspx?Report_Name=CountryProfile&Id=b45
0fd57&tbar=y&dd=y&inf=n&zm=n&country=MEX
• Technological landscape: Freedom on the Net Report 2019: -
https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2019-
11/11042019_Report_FH_FOTN_2019_final_Public_Download.pdf
• Technological landscape: Reporters Without Borders: - https://rsf.org/en/mexico
• Security situation: Animal Politico, 21 July 2020 - https://www.animalpolitico.com/2020/07/record-violencia-
semestre-2020-asesinatos/
• Security situation: The Mazatlan Post, 23 October 2020 - https://themazatlanpost.com/2020/10/23/which-
are-the-top-10-safest-cities-in-mexico/
• Security situation: Congressional Research Service, 28 July 2020 -
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R41576
• Security situation: National Guard - https://www.as-coa.org/articles/latam-focus-explaining-mexicos-
national-guard
• Security situation: criticized - https://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-president-orders-troops-to-fight-
crime-for-4-years-2020-5
• Security situation: intimidating - https://www.cndh.org.mx/documento/emite-cndh-medidas-cautelares-en-
favor-de-albergues-para-migrantes-en-sonora-y-coahuila-y
• Security situation: excessive - https://www.proceso.com.mx/631749/un-ano-despues-de-creacion-de-la-
guardia-nacional-mexico-esta-lejos-de-desmilitarizar-seguridad-publica
• Security situation: assistance - https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/mexico-cartels-hand-out-food-
coronavirus-pandemic/
18Mexico – WWL 2021 Country Dossier – December 2020
• Security situation: death threats - https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/surveillance-and-death-
threats-against-indigenous-priest-marcelo-perez-perez-and-his-pastoral
• Security situation: extortion - https://www.ejecentral.com.mx/valor-de-la-palabra-ministros-de-culto-sufren-
la-otra-pandemia/
• Security situation: kidnappings - https://billieparkernoticias.com/red-evangelica-denuncia-secuestros-y-robos-
a-su-grey-en-el-sur-de-veracruz/
WWL 2021: Church information / Mexico
Christian origins
Christianity reached Mexico during the Spanish conquest of the native Aztec population (1519-
1521). It was part of the military strategy to convert the native inhabitants of New Spain to the
Roman Catholic faith. From that time until approximately 1872, the Roman Catholic Church was
the only Christian denomination present in Mexico and still forms a majority in the country.
However, Mexico has allowed freedom of worship since the mid-eighteenth century and since
then, traditional Protestant denominations have been established. In modern times, the
government did not recognize churches and religious associations as legal entities until 1992,
when reforms to Article 130 of the Constitution were made and the Law on Religious
Associations and Public Worship was implemented.
Church spectrum today
Mexico: Church networks Christians %
Orthodox 122,000 0.1
Catholic 115,574,000 90.1
Protestant 5,533,000 4.3
Independent 8,300,000 6.5
Unaffiliated 1,550,000 1.2
Doubly-affiliated Christians -2,850,000 -2.2
Total 128,229,000 100.0
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