Editor’s Note: Mark Alvarez, a regular contributor, has once again shared some thoughts from Mexico City where he and his, wife, Lorena, are currently living.

Four weeks ago, the hard drive on my computer malfunctioned. I was lucky (presidential candidates might say, “blessed”) this occurred three weeks before the warranty expired. My computer just got a new hard drive. This could cut into time for the exploration of Mexico City.

If one looks, one can find almost anything in Mexico City, including almost everything “American.” Nevertheless, differences emerge. The Costco here in Satelite looks like those in Salt Lake, but the Costco here has sampling lines for tequila in the styles of reposado, añejo or blanco. Then the typical potato chip or peanut on the way to a section of commendable wines. Excellent coffee would be nice, but experiences at Caffe d’bolla set that mark awfully high.

Mexico City’s Historic Center has an incredible Palace of Fine Arts, thriving markets, fascinating streets and squares, and a newly installed ice rink for the holiday season. While ice might best function in a glass of bourbon, skating has proven a hit here. Downtown provides other entertainment, at times inclined to the quirky.

On November 18, a Sunday, politics and religion mixed to the consternation of the serious, the amazement of the reasonable and the delight of others. Supporters of an opposition candidate who declares himself the “legitimate president of Mexico” held an enormous meeting in the Zocalo or town square. At noon, the bells of the Metropolitan Cathedral rang. A Mexican senator in the middle of her speech asked, “Are the bells saluting this national convention or do they want to silence the voice of the people? We must investigate!” Approximately 100 attendees rushed into the Cathedral and caused a disturbance, which resulted in the closure of the Cathedral for six days and the first closure in more than seventy years. Unbeknownst to the Senator, the bells ring for an extended time to announce the third mass every Sunday.

Oops.

Oops also to the mixing of religion and politics in the U.S. presidential race. I read the transcript of Mitt Romney’s Faith in America speech. What was that about? An imitation of John Kennedy? I did not know John Kennedy, but… well.

Perhaps Mr. Romney could have followed George Michael’s Faith model: strumming a guitar, wearing blue jeans and doing the shake. Well I guess it would be nice to pass over Utah’s favorite candidate, Minutemanlike though he may be. But I find it difficult to ignore immigrant bashing that screams across borders and languages.

With his speech, Mr. Romney pushed the church-state line, but no problem there: democracy and the Constitution protect us. “Americans do not respect believers of convenience” was a good line, yet I wonder if the spirit of the text might include “believers for political gain.” No matter, I still get the gist. Faith is good. True believers strengthen the United States. But in Mr. Romney’s broader context, some believers seem more equal than others. Should “illegals” be counted among the believers? Their children? Simple questions. What if they worked on Mr. Romney’s lawn? Or building Utah’s infrastructure for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Thanks for your hard work, but good riddance. Quite the diplomat and businessman.

Faith in America thrives in Mexico. Many Mexicans celebrate December 12 as the day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is told that in 1531 Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego and requested that a church be built on the Tepeyac hill. After several appearances and signs, a church was built. Our Lady of Guadalupe became a symbol for Mexicans. In 2002, Juan Diego was canonized by the Pope. Approximately eight million people will visit the Basilica of Guadalupe this week. On December 12, 90 thousand people arrived each hour. They came from all over Mexico, many having walked or ridden hundreds of kilometers or more. Driving from Oaxaca to Mexico City Sunday evening, Lorena and I saw thousands of walkers and cyclists in the midst of their pilgrimage to the Basilica. We also saw them during a visit to the Basilica. My faith or lack thereof did not grow, but my respect for the determination of the people I saw did. They exemplified faith in America, an America inclusive of continents North and South.

Many Utahns will recognize Our Lady of Guadalupe as a church on Salt Lake City’s west side and Juan Diego as a high school in Draper. Peace.