Mexico City mayor demands cardinal apologize for bribery allegation, threatens legal action

Mexico City mayor demands cardinal apologize

MEXICO CITY — Mexico City’s leftist mayor said Tuesday he will take legal action if a Roman Catholic cardinal doesn’t apologize for suggesting he bribed the Supreme Court to uphold a city law allowing adoptions by same-sex couples.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says that if Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez does not apologize by midnight, he is going to file a slander complaint.

The church opposes the Mexico City law, but the Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional.

Over the weekend, the cardinal suggested the justices may have been paid to uphold the law, using a slang word for corruption that refers to giving feed to livestock.

The court has denied and condemned the accusation.

In a statement, the Mexican Council of Bishops expressed its “solidarity and regards” for Sandoval Iniguez.

The council also stressed its continuing opposition to the adoption law and said “we regret that when these opinions are expressed, there are those who rebuke them and threaten to sound the alarm about intolerance.”

“We spoke out, as part of the freedom of expression guaranteed by our democratic system, in opposition to the Supreme Court ruling, without implying any disrespect for the institutions of the Mexican government.”