MEXICO

Death toll rises to 22 as another priest is murdered in his own church

 

Sadly, Mexico is living up to its reputation of being “the most dangerous country in the worlds to be a priest.”  Yet another priest, Fr Ruben Alcantara Diaz aged 50, was killed on 18 April at Our Lady of Carmen Parish in the Cumbria neighbourhood of Cuautitlán Izcalli.

Just as Fr Diaz was getting ready for the 6:30 p.m. Mass, a man arrived, entered the Church and talked with the priest for a few minutes. He then started shouting and arguing with Fr Diaz. After a heated discussion, the priest was attacked.

The priest’s secretary didn’t know what the argument was about, but after hearing shouting, she went to see what was happening. She was horrified to discover the priest lying in a huge pool of blood, badly injured. The anguished woman immediately requested the help of an ambulance, but when Red Cross paramedics arrived, it was too late. The priest had already died.

Upon learning of the facts, state police arrived at the church. They confirmed that Fr Diaz was found lying face down and that he had multiple blows to the body and several stab wounds that were the cause of his death. Confirming that the priest was already dead, police cordoned off the entire area and requested the intervention of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to give evidence of the facts.

The murderer fled from the scene and his whereabouts are unknown. However, Ministerial police running the homicide investigation are confident they can find him as the priest’s secretary saw the murderer before he fled and gave them a description. The police said that the alleged murderer was probably known to the priest because he entered the church without any problem.

The local Diocese issued a statement lamenting the murder. “While the pertinent inquiries are carried out by the experts, we pray to God for his eternal rest and I ask everyone to join in this intention,” the diocese said.

The Catholic Multimedia Centre confirmed that this latest crime makes a total number of 22 priests that been killed in Mexico since December 2012, when the six-year administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto began.

ACN Malta