Some things have changed on the southern border, but a lot of things remain the same, according to Catholic humanitarian groups on the ground.

The massive “Guadalupana,” as the annual celebration of the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe is commonly known, would be a potential public health catastrophe.

Any source of criticism, whether a journalist, another politician or a member of civil society, can count on a barrage of invective from the president, senior members of his cabinet and often from among the millions of López Obrador’s online followers.

For those who have lost loved ones to Covid-19, celebrations will not be the same this year. But they will still remember the souls who have passed on to new life.

In Mexico, where both organized and petty crime has exploded to unprecedented levels, vigilante justice has become increasingly common; citizens who gun down assailants during robbery attempts often make headlines as heroes.

Amid the tensions in Mexico — which include the president’s opponents camping out in the heart of the capital — the Archdiocese of Mexico City published an editorial Oct. 11, saying, “It appears the pope is speaking directly to Mexico when he says politics is being used as a mechanism to exasperate and polarize in many countries.”