The Catholic Church in Mexico has begun to take action against the deadly game of the “Blue Whale” that has been flooding social media for the past few months. Teenagers are the first targets of a deadly pastime.
In the land of the “Dead Souls”, in the heart of millennia-old Russia, there is a popular belief that a certain species of aquatic mammals voluntarily washes up on the shore to put an end to their days. Hence the name “Blue Whale Challenge”, given to a series of challenges that appeared last year on Russian social media, and that has supposedly lead to the death of dozens of teenagers in the country, according to Novaya Gazeta.
The first tests of the “game” seem harmless, but they become more and more dangerous as they lead up to the ultimate test that consists in committing suicide. The challenges are managed by an online referee – a “game-master” – who requires challenges or photos of accomplished challenges in order to complete the different levels and move on in the game. In the end, the player decides how to end his life. Simple as that…
As could be expected, the “Blue Whale” washed up in France a few months ago. The press has begun to talk about it, but in Central America and in Mexico, where this “game” has been wreaking havoc for a longer time, the Church has spoken out.
The bishop of Ciudad Juárez, Bishop José Guadalupe Torres Campos, declared: “The Blue Whale Challenge must be condemned. It is,” continued the prelate, “a terrible epidemic. It is repugnant”.
A note was sent to the press agency Fides from Ciudad Juárez, saying that over the last few weeks, at least a dozen teenage suicides in Chihuahua and other regions of Mexico have been linked to the deadly game. That is why Bishop Torres Campos insisted in his Sunday sermon on the importance of protecting teenagers. “Children and teenagers are home alone sometimes and they start playing innocently, out of curiosity, and in the end they find themselves captives. They are deceived,” declared the bishop.
This episcopal stance is an excellent proof of the Church’s motherly solicitude for the weakest and the most vulnerable, who are exposed to these falsely playful practices that are genuine incitements to suicide.
Source: La Croix/ Fides/ Infocatho – SSPX.News 5/16/17
