he Diocese of San Cristóbal, in southern Mexico, will send Pope Francis a proposal to include indigenous Mayan rites such as dance, music, and the participation of women in Catholic Masses.

This is the second proposal of these characteristics that arises from the Catholic ecclesial community; the first on native peoples came from the Republic of Zaire , in Africa.

Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel , who coordinates the work, explained this Wednesday that the initiative will be presented in April to the assembly of the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) and in May it will be delivered in Rome, by the Archbishop of Puebla, Víctor Sánchez , President of the Liturgy Pastoral Commission.

These liturgical adaptations are aimed at uniting the communities “respecting their value, taking into account the culture of the native peoples,” said the Bishop of San Cristóbal, Rodrigo Aguilar Martínez.

The religious leaders concluded a meeting this week in Chiapas, which was also attended by Monsignor Aurelio García Macías , undersecretary of the Vatican’s department for divine worship and the discipline of the sacraments, as well as indigenous priests and catechists.

“We are working on a meeting that is important for the Diocese, the country, the Church of Mexico and the universal Church in terms of liturgical adaptations,” said Aguilar Martínez.

The Diocese of San Cristóbal has admitted to being very proud, since they have taken another important leap after the translation of the Bible into four indigenous languages ​​​​of the country: Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Chol and Tojolabal. Aguilar Martínez added that even “these celebrations are already taking place in Tzeltal and Tzotzil.”