Guatemalan Prelates’ Naturalist Response to Violence Ignores Christ’s Social Kingship
Vatican News portal (January 23, 2026) reports on statements by “Bishop” Rodolfo Valenzuela Núñez, president of the Guatemalan “bishops’ conference,” following gang violence and government-imposed state of emergency. The article describes his calls for “unity,” “reason,” and governmental collaboration against “dark political and economic forces,” while suspending Eucharistic celebrations in violence-affected areas. Valenzuela insists Christians must engage in politics to elect “honest individuals” to judiciary positions, framing the crisis as primarily a battle against corruption and institutional weakness.