August 02, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Mexico believe the head of the Catholic Church in the country should devote his time to matters of faith, according to a poll by Parametría. 60 per cent of respondents disagree with Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera voicing his opinion about political affairs.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Mexico believe the head of the Catholic Church in the country should devote his time to matters of faith, according to a poll by Parametría. 60 per cent of respondents disagree with Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera voicing his opinion about political affairs.

Mexico's 1917 Constitution effectively banned the clergy from playing a role in the country's political affairs. In 1992, the Latin American country restored diplomatic ties with the Vatican, during the government of Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari.

Rivera Carrera became a Cardinal in February 1998. In 2005, Rivera Carrera decried proposal to decriminalize euthanasia in Mexico, saying, "Euthanasia means killing a person." Earlier this year, as the Mexico City legislature debated whether to allow women to interrupt a pregnancy in the first 12 weeks of gestation, Rivera Carrera declared: "Opposing abortion is not a problem of faith or dogma, but a manifestation of respect to human life."

Last month, Rivera Carrera urged the government to amend the constitution and allow priests to discuss political affairs at will, claiming existing legislation makes Mexican priests "pseudo-citizens."

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera voicing his opinion about political affairs in Mexico?

Agree	18%
Neither	16%
Disagree	60%
No reply	5%
Not sure	1%

Source: Parametría
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 720 Mexican adults who know who Norberto Rivera Carrera is, conducted from Jun. 8 to Jun. 11, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.