Mexican Mecca: Luz del Mundo church draws 500,000 pilgrims to Guadalajara

Luz del Mundo spokesman Eliezer Gutierrez denied allegations that past church leaders engaged in sexual abuse.

Over half a million pilgrims from over 50 countries descended upon the western Mexican city of Guadalajara last week to participate in an annual ceremony at the spiritual home of the little-known Christian denomination: Luz del Mundo.

Mexico’s second largest religious denomination after the Catholic Church, the Luz del Mundo (Light of the World) was founded in Guadalajara in 1926. It now claims to have approximately five million members, the majority spread across the Americas and Europe.

Luz del Mundo’s national spokesman, Eliezer Gutierrez, told Latin Correspondent that the purpose of last week’s celebrations, known as “La Santa Convocación,” was for devotees to “renew their pact with the lord”.

The culmination of the week-long event was a reenactment of the Last Supper, in which the pilgrims, all dressed in white, broke bread and sipped wine to symbolize their continued commitment to their faith, Gutierrez said.

The church claimed the event drew 537,000 devotees from five continents this year, 177,000 more than in 2014…

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