Over 45,000 Mexican youths will march to Christ the King monument to mark 100 years since the Cristero War, calling for faith and freedom.
Newsroom (13/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) More than 45,000 young people from across Mexico are expected to gather at the Monument to Christ the King on Cerro del Cubilete in Guanajuato on January 31 for the National Youth March — a massive pilgrimage commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Cristero War, one of the most pivotal moments in Mexico’s religious and social history.
Organizers announced on January 12 that the multi-day event will begin on Friday, January 30, with Cubifest, an all-night youth gathering in the nearby community of Aguas Buenas. Starting at 10:00 PM, the celebration will blend music, fellowship, and spiritual reflection, featuring live performances by national bands and social spaces dedicated to dialogue and prayer.
As dawn breaks on Saturday, participants will join in a Holy Hour before ascending the hill toward the monumental 20-meter statue of Christ the King — a symbol of faith and resistance. The day’s culmination will be the celebration of Holy Mass at the summit, presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico, Monsignor Joseph Spiretti, accompanied by Archbishop Jaime Calderón of León and other bishops and priests.
A Centennial of Faith Amid Shadows of Censorship
The 2026 edition of the youth march aligns with the centenary of the Cristero War, which began in 1926 following the enforcement of the “Calles Law.” This legislation imposed severe restrictions on Catholic worship, prompting Mexico’s bishops to suspend public religious services. What began as a protest soon ignited into an armed uprising of Catholics defending their right to practice their faith — a conflict that officially concluded in 1929, though its wounds lingered for years.
At the press conference, leaders of the Catholic youth movement Testimonio y Esperanza, which organizes the annual march, underscored that this year’s event carries both historical and contemporary significance. They warned of what they called a “subtle but growing censorship” against Catholic expressions in modern Mexico, citing rising attacks on churches, murders of priests, and legislative attempts to restrict religious freedom.
“We live in times when there are attempts to silence faith, to silence pastors, and to relegate Christ to the private sphere,” the organizers said. “Although today’s authorities carry neither report nor rifle, they wound with the same contempt as before.”
Their message emphasized the peaceful nature of their movement: a march not of rebellion, but of testimony — “with the cross, the Rosary, and prayer as instruments of peace.”
Remembering Resistance, Not War
For Rubén Loya of Testimonio y Esperanza, the event is not about glorifying conflict but honoring endurance. Speaking to ACI Prensa, he explained that the pilgrimage represents “the beginning of the Cristero resistance,” a broader struggle that transcended armed rebellion.
“War involves conflict,” he said, “but resistance includes the testimony of thousands of martyrs who gave their lives for their faith — and the families who stayed home praying the Rosary for peace.”
Loya recalled the priests who continued to celebrate clandestine Masses under persecution, embodying courage and spiritual defiance. In that same spirit, this centennial pilgrimage aims to unite the Church once again, not in arms, but in remembrance, faith, and hope.
“It is not a milestone of war,” he emphasized, “but a moment to come together as a Church and rediscover the meaning and transcendence of what we do.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa
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