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Spring Break

Spring Break

I’ve been amused by the multiple social media queries of late about what d...

Arts & Entertainment

Revived ‘Musical Tuesdays’ are a hit

7 DAYS AGO
Revived ‘Musical Tuesdays’ are a hit

Stepping into the gated plaza in front of the Ex-convento del Carmen from downtown Guadalajara’s gritty streets  has always felt like a reprieve—never more so than Tuesday evening for the fourth in a musical series just reincarnated by the incoming state Secretary of Culture: M...

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Entertainment Guide - February 08, 2025

27 DAYS AGO
Entertainment Guide - February 08, 2025

Jalisco Philharmonic

The state orchestra, conducted by José Luis Castillo, performs works by Korngold, Mozart and R. Strauss. Guest violinist Francisco Fullana.

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‘Movies That Matter’: Festival highlights powerful global stories and social issues

7 DAYS AGO
‘Movies That Matter’: Festival highlights powerful global stories and social issues

Nine films from the United States and Europe will be screened at 2 p.m. every Sunday and Thursday in March at the Cine+Lago Theater in Plaza Bugambilias, Ajijic.

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Finding laughter & strength, even in the darkest of times

7 DAYS AGO
Finding laughter & strength, even in the darkest of times

Bare Stage Theatre presents “A Ton of Bricks and Other Random Sh*t,” a compelling and humorous one-woman show by writer, photographer and storyteller Alexis Steinkamp.

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Ribera Arts Review - March 01, 2025

7 DAYS AGO
Ribera Arts Review - March 01, 2025

Bare Stage

“His Greatness,” by Daniel MacIvor, is a fictionalized take on a real event in the early 1980s when Tennessee Williams went to Vancouver, Canada to tweak a little known and unsuccessful play that was to be produced there, in hopes of improving it.

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Ribera Arts Review - February 22, 2025

14 DAYS AGO
Ribera Arts Review - February 22, 2025

LLT

Lakeside Little Theatre (LLT) will stage the dark comedy “Man of La Mancha,” February 21 through March 4.

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At the Movies - February 15, 2025

20 DAYS AGO

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Bridget Jones navigates life as a widow and single mum with the help of her family, friends, and former lover, Daniel. Back to work and on the apps, she’s pursued by a younger man and maybe - just maybe - her son’s science teacher.

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At the Movies - January 25, 2025

1 MONTHS AGO

Nosferatu

A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

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Columns

How villages are cleaning up a once loved—now poisoned—Jalisco river

14 DAYS AGO
How villages are cleaning up a once loved—now poisoned—Jalisco river

I am in the pueblo of Casa Blanca, Jalisco, population 600, located seven kilometers north of Lake Chapala.

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The Manantlán Biosphere Reserve seen through indigenous eyes

21 DAYS AGO
The Manantlán Biosphere Reserve seen through indigenous eyes

Aldo Santana is a member of the Cuzalapa people living in La Pareja, a small village tucked away deep inside some of Mexico’s most picturesque mountains, located along the state line dividing Jalisco from Colima.

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The Year in Tech: AI ethics, hydrogen cars & TikTok controversies

2 MONTHS AGO

As we reflect on the tech news of the past 12 months, stories have ranged from virtual reality games to foldable smartphones. Yet, the topic dominating much of the conversation this year has been artificial intelligence (AI), particularly ChatGPT.

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The technical side of US elections is a huge mess

3 MONTHS AGO

As I am starting the process to write this I am visiting New York City where this afternoon I enjoyed sort of a man-on-the-street interview with a local whose attention was attracted by my hat.

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‘America’: A nation or a continent... imperialism returns?

1 MONTHS AGO
‘America’: A nation or a continent... imperialism returns?

“America is back,” reads a footnote to a video segment of President Donald Trump reposted this week on the Guadalajara U.S. Consulate General’s Facebook page.

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The US election from a Mexican perspective

4 MONTHS AGO
The US election from a Mexican perspective

Why is the U.S. election so important to Mexico? Will the election of either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump have vastly different outcomes for Mexico’s future?

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A midwesterner moves to Mexico - So Long, Farewell ...

8 YEARS AGO

I had planned on writing a nice, lengthy, last column worthy of the place I’ve had the pleasure of living in for the past two years.

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A midwesterner moves to Mexico - Packing Up

8 YEARS AGO

The wool coat looks worse for the non-wear. It is wrinkled from being unworn and crammed in the back of a closet for two years; dotted with dust and dog hair from a dog that departed the family a year ago; in need of a lint brush that can’t be found in the pile of things to be thrown away, don...

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Honores a la Bandera

14 DAYS AGO
Honores a la Bandera

Monday, February 24 is Mexico’s Día de La Bandera.

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Ciclovia Sense & Sensibilty

27 DAYS AGO
Ciclovia Sense & Sensibilty

It’s been something like ten years since the Chapala-Jocotepec Ciclovia cycling trail was introduced as an alternative to motorized transportation. Back then government officials took plenty of flak from folks who thought it was a harebrained scheme.

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Identity theft of a body of water – inventing a new felony

7 DAYS AGO

The name Gulf of Mexico had nothing do with the country we know today, which has the same name.

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How I learned to write... or did I?

14 DAYS AGO

I get a lot of people asking me how I learned creative writing. My comment is always the same, “I dropped out of school and played touch-football on campus.” This made me dumber.

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Expat Living

La Candelaria wraps up holiday season

1 MONTHS AGO
La Candelaria wraps up holiday season

Christmas festivities may be long over in many parts of the world, but Mexico adds a postscript to the holiday season with the celebration of Día de la Candelaria on February 2.

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Briefly - December 28, 2024

2 MONTHS AGO

Plane crash in Jalisco leaves seven dead

Seven people died aboard a Cessna 207 that crashed on Sunday, December 22, in a wooded area of Jalisco, near the border of the municipalities of Quitupan and Santa María del Oro, the Jalisco Civil Protection Unit reported.

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City Living - January 25, 2020

5 YEARS AGO
City Living - January 25, 2020

Dragon dance

Sunday, January 26, experience the Chinese New Year with a presentation of the dragon dance, and other rituals, by the students and professors of Kung-Fu Dragón Inmortal, one of the most acclaimed Kung Fu schools in Guadalajara. The Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, January 25...

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City Living – March 16, 2019

6 YEARS AGO

American School race

Think green – the sixth annual Eco Race and Green Market are scheduled for Sunday, March 31 at Guadalajara’s American School Foundation. Everyone is welcomed to this event meant to raise awareness about conserving the planet’s resources. Expect to learn a lot ...

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Weekly Worship - March 01, 2025

7 DAYS AGO

Lake ChapalaJewish Congregation

A Purim celebration will be held Thursday, March 13, 6 p.m. at LCJC. Featuring megillah, spiel, hamentasche and cash bar.  For more information contact: general @lakechapalajewishcongregation.com.

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Jacque is alive & well!

7 DAYS AGO
Jacque is alive & well!

Contrary to what you might have read in the February edition of El Ojo del Lago, Jacque Bouchard is very much alive and well.

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Laguna Chapalac - March 01, 2025

7 DAYS AGO
Laguna Chapalac - March 01, 2025

Michicihualli Festival

The Michicihualli Festival takes place March 6 to 8 at La Cochera Cultura located at Javier Mina 49 in Ajijic.

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Laguna Chapalac - February 22, 2025

14 DAYS AGO
Laguna Chapalac - February 22, 2025

Garage sale fundraiser

Alejandro Luis Perez Landero’s daughter Sarah and her friends are holding a garage sale to help fund her father’s 150,000 pesos surgery for stage two colon cancer.

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Efren González returns to coast for milestone reception

1 MONTHS AGO
Efren González returns to coast for milestone reception

Lakeside artist Efren González celebrated his 20th Meet the Artist reception at Galería La Manzanilla on Friday, January 17.

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Museum showcases history of Vallarta art scene

1 YEAR AGO
Museum showcases history of Vallarta art scene

Tucked away in Puerto Vallarta’s Colonia El Remance, nestled next to tourist favorite Zona Romantica, is ARTe Vallarta Museo, showcasing an art genre unique to the city: Arte Vallarta.

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North Banderas Beat - March 23, 2024

11 MONTHS AGO
North Banderas Beat - March 23, 2024

Spring has a special vibe around Banderas Bay. This time of year, I live in denial, as others speak of the season ending, I dig in my heals, “NO”!

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North Banderas Beat - March 09, 2024

1 YEAR AGO
North Banderas Beat - March 09, 2024

Sometimes living in paradise feels like a fairytale and other times it feels like magic.

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La Manzanilla Memo - March 01, 2020

5 YEARS AGO
La Manzanilla Memo - March 01, 2020

Bocce Ball Tournament

A few weeks after hosting an elegant dinner dance in late January, the Bocce Ball Committee and aficionados of the sport donned shorts and t-shirts to face off in the 6th annual Bocce Ball Tournament on February 15.

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La Manzanilla Memo – February 15, 2020

5 YEARS AGO
La Manzanilla Memo – February 15, 2020

Otra Vez

Last November, a little thrift store named Otra Vez opened its doors to the residents of La Manzanilla and became an instant hit with both the Mexican and expat communities.  Operating solely with donations and dedicated volunteers, it is now in its second year with no signs of slowin...

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Barra de Navidad & Melaque Journal - April 04, 2020

4 YEARS AGO
Barra de Navidad & Melaque Journal - April 04, 2020

In the Bahia de Navidad everyone is doing their part to stay safe and help each other. As some businesses close down, others stay open to keep the community safe and supplied with basic essentials and information regarding Covid-19.

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Barra de Navidad & Melaque Journal - March 22, 2020

5 YEARS AGO
Barra de Navidad & Melaque Journal - March 22, 2020

Four years ago, a small team of big-hearted Canadian and Americans decided they wanted to give something substantial back to the community.

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Puerto Vallarta Bulletin - March 27, 2021

4 YEARS AGO
Puerto Vallarta Bulletin - March 27, 2021

Officials in Jalisco and Puerto Vallarta, in the face of Covid-19, are hoping for a little-quieter-than-normal Semana Santa, but that doesn’t mean Tapatios will resist the lure of the beaches of the Bay of Banderas.

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Puerto Vallarta Bulletin - February 06, 2021

4 YEARS AGO
Puerto Vallarta Bulletin - February 06, 2021

Races

To celebrate the Día de Amor y Amistad (Valentine’s Day), two races, sponsored by the Municipal Sports Advisory Committee (Comude), will be held on Sunday, February 14 along two areas: the Malecon and the Rio Pitillal linear parkway.

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Mexican Lifestyles

Days of the Dead in Michoacán

4 YEARS AGO
Days of the Dead in Michoacán

Mexico’s Days of the Dead coincide with the Christian All Souls and All Saints Day, November 1 and November 2.

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When to tip – and not to tip

7 YEARS AGO
When to tip – and not to tip

Tipping is woven into the fabric of Mexico’s social culture, chiefly because of its informal, cash-driven economy.

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A tequila adventure in a different direction

3 YEARS AGO
A tequila adventure in a different direction

The Centro Educativo Jaltepec’s new tequila tour to benefit its students is far and away something beyond the typical tours to the agave regions.

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Senate beefs up laws on access to beaches

4 YEARS AGO

The Mexican Senate has approved reforms to the General Law of National Assets, increasing the fines for establishments or individuals that restrict access to Mexico’s beaches, to more than one million pesos.

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The capital offers excellent dining options for Easter

11 MONTHS AGO
The capital offers excellent dining options for Easter

If you’re looking for a place to visit over Easter but don’t want to find yourself surrounded by loud, drunken hordes, skip the beach and consider Mexico City. The traffic will be less frenetic, the air cleaner, the museums and restaurants less crowded.

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A date with Belabot & Michibot

1 YEAR AGO
A date with Belabot & Michibot

In a naked move to capitalize on the current interest in AI, I decided to accept an invitation to eat at El Gato in Guadalajara, and to write about the experience.

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Weathering the calor: avoiding heat stress

6 YEARS AGO
Weathering the calor: avoiding heat stress

As Guadalajara and Jalisco enter into their warm season, typically between April and June of each year, residents and seasonal visitors should take precautions to avoid heat stress.  What’s more, the University of Guadalajara’s Institute of Astronomy and Meteorology reports that eve...

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Winter warning: Catching a cold, getting the sniffles is all too easy here

6 YEARS AGO
Winter warning: Catching a cold,  getting the sniffles is all too easy here

Returning snowbirds should not be fooled by the warmer winter weather in this region. Big swings in temperature can play havoc with a person’s health and bring on cold symptoms in a flash.

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News

Jalisco to pioneer music program in public schools

7 DAYS AGO

Jalisco is set to become the first state in Mexico to introduce mandatory music classes in all public schools, from preschool through secondary levels, Governor Pablo Lemus announced this week.

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Zapopan jumps on co-working bandwagon with free spaces

7 DAYS AGO
Zapopan jumps on co-working bandwagon with free spaces

There’s a new option in Zapopan for freelancers and remote workers who prefer not to work from home or a coffee shop.

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Upcoming races for kids & women

7 DAYS AGO
Upcoming races for kids & women

Hijos Ausentes de Chapala-Los Cabos and Carreras Chapala are sponsoring Carnaval Run 2025, a race series for children and adolescents, scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, starting at 8 a.m. at the Chapala Malecón.

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San Antonio no parking ban revived

7 DAYS AGO
San Antonio no parking ban revived

Motorists, beware: Chapala’s traffic department is stepping up enforcement of the no-parking ban on the north side of Calle Ramón Corona in San Antonio Tlayacapan. This restriction applies to the block between San José and Independencia.

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New sculpture reflects on the power of enlightenment

7 DAYS AGO
New sculpture reflects on the power of enlightenment

A striking new sculpture, “The Bearer of Knowledge,” created by artists Omark Vázquez and Alejandro Zapata, has been installed at the Juan José Arreola State Library in Guadalajara.

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Heatwaves expected soon

7 DAYS AGO

The first heatwaves of 2025 are expected to hit Central Mexico this week, according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN). Temperatures could reach up to 40°C in parts of Guerrero and Michoacán, while some areas of Jalisco are expected to see temperatures surpassing 35°C.

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Flu season in full swing as cases surge

7 DAYS AGO

Jalisco is seeing a significant rise in doctor visits and hospitalizations due to flu-like symptoms, although the full extent of the current influenza surge is difficult to determine due to limited surveillance reporting data.

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More raids & arrests but will President Sheinbaum’s security shift work?

14 DAYS AGO
More raids & arrests but will President Sheinbaum’s security shift work?

The “hugs, not bullets” slogan that defined Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s security policy during his six years in office seems to have been retired for good.

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Melaque cultural center celebrates 5th anniversary

14 DAYS AGO

The Centro de Actividades Culturales (Center for Cultural Activities, or CENAC) in the coastal town of Melaque is celebrating its 5th anniversary with a fundraising Street Festival on Wednesday, March 5, starting at 5 p.m.

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Mexican Navy arrests priority targets

14 DAYS AGO
Mexican Navy arrests priority targets

A man and a woman, described only as being of “foreign origin,” were arrested this week in Puerto Vallarta in an operation involving the Mexican Navy, the National Guard and municipal police.

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Bowing to the president’s will: The State Department’s new political reality under Trump

14 DAYS AGO
Bowing to the president’s will: The State Department’s new political reality under Trump

A distasteful Valentine’s Day meme posted on the White House X account probably had Trump supporters chuckling, but for many others, it prompted nothing more than head-shaking disbelief.

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Trade war looms as Trump readies tariffs

1 MONTHS AGO

It’s almost certain that U.S. President Donald Trump will impose a 25 percent tariff on most imports from Mexico and Canada on February 1—a promise he made just a day after taking office on January 20.

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UK’s Diagio expands in Jalisco

3 YEARS AGO
UK’s Diagio expands in Jalisco

UK spirits giant Diageo will invest $US500 million to expand its tequila production center located in the Jalisco municipality of Atotonilco El Alto and build one new distillery in La Barca, generating more than 1,000 direct jobs for Jalisco, company executives and Governor Enrique Alfaro announced ...

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The British Council marks a milestone

6 YEARS AGO

It’s been 75 years since the arrival in Mexico of the British Council, a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization that promotes a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language, while encouraging cultural, scientific, technological and educational understanding and co-ope...

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Obituary - February 01, 2025

1 MONTHS AGO
Obituary - February 01, 2025

Joseph Lukasiewich

Joseph Lukasiewich passed away on January 21 at the age of 93.

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Obituary - January 25, 2025

1 MONTHS AGO
Obituary - January 25, 2025

Millicent Brandow

Peacefully, with her family by her side, Millicent Brandow passed away on October 9, 2024, at the age of 96.

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Country Club welcomes US college golf stars

27 DAYS AGO
Country Club welcomes US college golf stars

Amy Scanlon (3rd from right, back row), the U.S. Consul General in Guadalajara, participated in the fourth Collegiate Invitational Women’s Golf Tournament hosted by the University of Virginia at the Guadalajara Country Club. 

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Former Governor follows footsteps of Arrigo Sacchi?

27 DAYS AGO
Former Governor follows footsteps of Arrigo Sacchi?

Just over a month after completing his six-year term as governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez is as far removed from local politics as one could imagine!

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Tapatios praise pope as he heads for retirement

Catholics in Guadalajara seemed stunned Monday after learning that Pope Benedict XVI has become the first pontiff in nearly 600 years to resign his position as head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Benedict cited failing health as the main reason for his decision. The Vatican provides a translation from Latin: “In order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfil [sic] the ministry entrusted to me.”

He will continue his duties through February 28, and a conclave of cardinals will meet the following month to determine a successor. While there is no deadline for the election of a new pope, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi in a Monday press conference speculated that the new pope might be elected by Easter.

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The 117 cardinals eligible to vote in the upcoming conclave will include three Canadians, three Mexicans and 11 Americans. The three Mexicans include both the current archbishop of Guadalajara, José Francisco Robles Ortega, and his predecessor, Juan Sandoval Íñiguez. Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop of Mexico City, rounds out the eligible Mexican electors.

Gambling websites are already putting up odds on Benedict’s successor. Rivera Carrera leads the eligible Mexicans at 25-1 odds on Irish website paddypower.com, with Italian Archbishop Angelo Scola in front of the pack midweek at 7-2 odds.

According to the 2010 census, 83.9 percent of Mexicans self-identify as Catholic. That makes it the country with the second most Catholics in the world after Brazil. Therefore, Benedict’s resignation reverberates with particular significance among its population.

Just after receiving the news, therapist Mariel Razo called it “sad.” She said that Benedict is “an extraordinary pope, and he still has a lot to give. There’s still a lot of work to do and it would be good if he didn’t retire.” After some time to digest the news, he added some support for the decision, saying, “Primarily though, there should be togetherness behind what Pope Benedict is doing well.”

Enedina Pacheco, a merchant, also praised the pope, calling him “a person who within the Vatican has done an extraordinary job, who has traveled and who has helped many people.” However, she also voiced concern over his decision, saying, “In these difficult times, I don’t like that he would retire, because all of us Catholics are left a little abandoned in religion.”

Raul Viruete Brambila, a talkative vendor of religious articles outside the Basilica of Zapopan went a little further in his criticisms. “He should serve until God reclaims him,” he said. “You know that is until his death. If it’s for health reasons, I think that the servants of the church could support him and he should continue in the mandate of the church until he dies.”

Housewife Alma Vazquez agreed with the overall mood of reluctant support. “Benedict is a good pope, but I don’t understand why he is retiring,” she said on her way into the basilica. Then, she voiced a growing conspiracy among speculators, adding, “It could be for political reasons, they could be intervening to make him retire.” While his papacy certainly saw its share of negative publicity, most are unable to point fingers at the supposed architects of this intervention.

Many younger people expressed support for Benedict’s non-traditional move. Alfonso Hernandez, bookstore employee, called his reasoning sound and his decision respectable. He further praised the pope as “a very intelligent and cultured person.”

His friend and fellow bookstore employee, Adrián Ramírez Muro, agreed. “Being the pope is physically tiring, so if it is for the church, I understand. It’s okay.” He went on also to praise Benedict’s learned intellectual writings, one of the generally agreed-upon strengths of his skill set.

And his successor? “It should be someone else with the same preparedness that [Benedict] has,” said Razo. “Three Mexicans will be participating,” said Vazquez, referring to the three Mexican cardinal electors. When prompted as to their chances at the papal throne, she responded, “It all depends on their preparation.” Ramírez Muro offered a more hands off philosophy. “The next pope should be up to God.”

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