Death Threat Against Mexican Bishop Exposes the Risks Facing Church Leaders Who Speak Out on Violence

(ZENIT News / Aguascalientes, 10.11.2026).- A offer of 40,000 Mexican pesos to anyone willing to attack Bishop Juan Espinoza Jiménez of Aguascalientes has prompted condemnation from Mexico’s Catholic hierarchy, calls for protection from state legislators and a criminal investigation into online threats. The episode has also revived a wider question confronting the Church in Mexico: whether its bishops and priests can speak publicly about violence, disappearances and government accountability without becoming targets themselves.

The controversy escalated after a message attributed to social media personality José Lápiz offered the money in exchange for an assault on Espinoza. The post included insults directed at priests. After criticism mounted, Lápiz reportedly questioned whether his words should be taken literally, but continued making hostile remarks against members of the Church and referred to offering money for their heads. The message was subsequently removed.

The threat came amid a public debate over the role of the Church in Mexican political and social life. In his homily at Aguascalientes Cathedral on September 27, Espinoza urged Catholics to judge public officials by the results of their policies rather than by promises or rhetoric. He challenged what he described as contradictions between official appeals to freedom and pluralism and threats of imprisonment against people who disagree with government decisions. He also questioned claims of national sovereignty in a country where criminal organizations continue to exercise a destructive influence.

The bishop further drew attention to the plight of families searching for missing relatives. These so-called searching mothers have become a powerful symbol of Mexico’s crisis of disappearances, often pressing authorities to provide answers when investigations and official commitments fail to deliver results. Espinoza argued that citizens must assess whether promises of support translate into meaningful assistance.

His message was not limited to criticism of political leaders. He called on Catholics to participate in public affairs, remain informed about their communities and demand accountability through respectful, democratic means. Citizens, he insisted, must also examine their own conduct and ask what they can contribute to the common good. The responsibility to challenge wrongdoing, in this view, goes hand in hand with the duty to act consistently in one’s own life.

A week later, on October 4, Bishop Ramón Castro Castro, president of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference and bishop of Cuernavaca, addressed the threats against Espinoza during his Sunday homily. Castro acknowledged that he could not be certain how serious the reported offer was, but warned that such messages could be intended to intimidate bishops because of their public interventions.

His response was unequivocal: “We cannot remain silent.” Social engagement, he argued, is not an optional addition to Christian life but flows from the Gospel itself. Calls for the Church to confine itself to the sacristy—the area of a church where the clergy prepare for worship—would prevent it from addressing the suffering and injustice experienced beyond the church walls.

Castro also described the Christian responsibility to help build a society in which every person’s dignity is respected and violence is no longer treated as a normal way of resolving disputes. His argument reflects a longstanding Catholic understanding that the Church’s mission includes both worship and the defense of human dignity in public life. Speaking about social problems does not mean that bishops should become political party operatives; it does mean that threats should not determine which issues they are permitted to address.

The case has moved beyond expressions of solidarity. On October 7, state prosecutor Manuel Alonso García announced that the matter was being investigated by the Cybercrime Unit. He described it as a serious issue that could not be ignored and said other threatening messages directed at the bishop had also appeared. Authorities, he stated, intended to examine the available information rather than dismiss potential risks to personal safety.

Local political and civic figures have also responded. State legislator Nancy Gutiérrez called on the government of Aguascalientes to provide protection for Espinoza. Jaime Castro, president of the National Front for the Family in Aguascalientes, expressed support for the bishop and rejected attempts to intimidate him. The organization’s spokesman, Alan Capetillo, said it was assessing the credibility and reach of the threat before deciding whether to pursue legal action.

The concerns are rooted in a broader record of violence against Catholic clergy. On June 20, 2022, Jesuit priests Javier Campos and Joaquín Mora were murdered inside a church in Cerocahui, Chihuahua, after attempting to protect a man being pursued by an armed assailant. The Society of Jesus subsequently demanded justice and greater protection for local communities.

On October 20, 2024, Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez, an Indigenous Tsotsil priest known for his peacebuilding and mediation work, was killed in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, after celebrating Mass. He had reportedly received threats connected to his work with communities affected by violence. The bishops’ conference called for a thorough and transparent investigation and for effective measures to protect priests and confront impunity.

More recently, on September 15, 2026, Father Román de la Cruz Hernández, parish priest of Santa Cruz in the Diocese of Huejutla, was found dead with gunshot wounds in the state of Hidalgo. The bishops’ conference and Bishop José Hiraís Acosta Beltrán of Huejutla demanded that the killing be clarified and justice pursued. Acosta also cautioned against speculation and called for peace and reconciliation.

The circumstances of these cases differ, and the reported online threat against Espinoza should not be equated automatically with the completed murders of other priests. Together, however, they explain why the Church regards the safety of its clergy as a pressing concern in a country where criminal violence and impunity have affected numerous communities.

The immediate test for the authorities in Aguascalientes is to establish the credibility of the threats, determine responsibility and take appropriate protective measures.

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