Leaders of faith, government and civil society gathered in Guanajuato, Mexico, on Aug. 28 to mark the 10th anniversary of Conciencia Nacional por la Libertad Religiosa, an organization that has spent a decade promoting dialogue and cooperation among religious communities in Mexico.
The milestone was commemorated at the 10th National Congress on Religious Freedom, where Elder Sean Douglas, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Mexico Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, urged participants to see religious liberty as more than a legal right, reported the Church’s Spanish Newsroom.
“Religious freedom dignifies the human being, and when it is respected and protected, it becomes a powerful tool for the construction of peace,” Elder Douglas said.
Laws and values
Speaking to religious leaders, scholars, human rights advocates and government officials, Elder Douglas reminded listeners that the strength of any law is rooted in the values of the people who create it.
“In free societies like Mexico, laws are created by representatives of the people, therefore the quality of the law depends on the values of the people. For the good of the nation, it is vital that honest and upright values be cultivated in the minds and hearts of the people,” he said.
When practiced responsibly, he added, religious freedom inspires people to foster peace and build community.
Overcoming contention
Citing President Russell M. Nelson, Elder Douglas called on believers to bring peace to a contentious world.
“The world needs peacemakers. The world needs people willing to set aside contention and build bridges of understanding,” he said.
He encouraged moderation and unity, even in moments of difference: “The best is yet to come. This is our time to seek moderation and unity, and build peace together.”
Service and shared responsibility
Elder Douglas concluded by tying freedom of religion to the moral duty to serve. “Religious freedom and peace are deeply intertwined,” he said, inviting faith traditions to unite in service to migrants, victims of violence and those living in poverty or exclusion.
He reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to interfaith dialogue, education and community service as means of strengthening peace.
Faith as a unifying force
Guanajuato Gov. Libia García Muñoz Ledo attended the event and spoke about the role of faith in public life.
“Faith must today call us to unity. Faith must call us to build a better society,” she said, noting her government’s continued work with the Interreligious Council of Guanajuato.
Growing interfaith collaboration
Cristian Badillo Gutiérrez, general director of Conciencia Nacional por la Libertad Religiosa, described how the past decade has transformed interfaith relations in Mexico.
He pointed to a shift from dialogue to “effective collaboration between faith communities,” along with growing cooperation between churches and government “for the benefit of communities.”
“The religious sector is a relevant player for the public life of the country — socially, culturally, politically and economically,” he said.
Diverse voices
The congress drew participants from Catholic, evangelical, Muslim, Orthodox, Jewish and Hare Krishna communities, along with academics and defenders of human rights.
Among those who shared messages were Monsignor Ramón Castro Castro, president of the Mexican Episcopal Conference; Abdelrahman Sayed, director of religious affairs of the Mexican Islamic Council; Madre Yasoda of the International SRI Krishna Chaitanya Mission; and Pastor Javier Misael Ramírez Pérez of the Apostolic Church of the Faith in Christ Jesus.
