Mexican bishop causes uproar

Provoking the uproar were declarations by Bishop Ramon Godinez, of the central state of Aguascalientes, who remarked this month that donations from drug traffickers are not unusual, but that it’s not the church’s responsibility to investigate. He argued that the money is "purified" once it passes through the parish doors.

"Just because the origin of the money is bad doesn’t mean you have to burn it," Godinez said. "Instead, you have to transform it. … We live on this, on the offerings of the faithful."