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The Documentary Podcast

Heart and Soul: Clergy in cartel land

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.32.6K Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mexico has become the most dangerous country in the world to be a Catholic priest. In the past 15 years, 50 were killed in narco-related violence. And the young men who enter the priesthood in the region of western Mexico known as Tierra Caliente, meaning "hot land", are at particular risk. They will have to work in drug cartel-controlled communities, may have gang leaders or members in their congregations, and will struggle with the ethical and theological dilemmas of publicly condemning these men’s actions at the risk of being murdered for speaking out. Even baptisms or delivering communion or receiving donations can prove extremely threatening: to refuse them any of the most sacred rituals of the Church is to defy the cartels. And few live to tell the tale, having refused to bend to the cartels’ demands. The BBC’s Mexico correspondent, Will Grant, travels to Tierra Caliente to meet a group of seminarians. In recent years, their director was attacked and almost killed. Members of a drug cartel entered their seminary, dragged off one of their colleagues and murdered him in the surrounding countryside. And the grave to one of their instructors is nestled by the chapel. All reminders, if any were needed, that these young men are about to join the world’s most dangerous priesthood. How are they prepared? Do they appreciate just what they are letting themselves in for? And how will they tackle the thorny ethical and spiritual questions which lie ahead as priests?

Transcript

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0:00.0

At normal transactions.

0:03.0

It's a kind of cyber attack on a bank.

0:05.0

Tens of millions of dollars.

0:07.0

Something I don't think anybody has seen before.

0:09.0

It's a cyber criminal group.

0:11.0

From the BBC World Service.

0:12.0

The Lazarus Ice is back for season two.

0:14.0

It was really like in the movies.

0:16.0

Find out more at the end of this podcast.

0:22.0

From BBC World Service, this is the documentary.

0:25.0

I'm Will Grant and I'm in Mexico for Heart and Soul

0:29.0

which explores personal stories of spirituality

0:32.0

from around the world.

0:37.0

This is the biggest day in Miguel Panthellion's young life.

0:41.0

After more than eight years training,

0:43.0

he's becoming a Catholic priest in his tiny village

0:46.0

of Rincón del Carmen in Mexico State.

0:49.0

Miguel is the 11th of 13 children.

0:52.0

And his mother, Petra, beams with pride

0:55.0

as she sits in the front row pew

0:57.0

watching the bishop ordain her son.

1:00.0

Miguel later tells me he found it a deeply poignant experience.

...

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