Twenty-three Church pastoral workers killed worldwide in
2017
Cross, the symbol of the followes of Christ. |
For the 8th consecutive year, America tops the list with the
highest number of pastoral workers killed.
By Robin Gomes
During this year that is coming to an end, 23 pastoral
workers of the Catholic Church were killed across the globe. They include
13 priests, a male and a female religious and 8 lay people. Fides, the
news agency of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,
that compiles the list every yearend, released the figures for 2017 on
Thursday.
America tops the list
Fides noted that for the 8th consecutive
year, the highest number of killings took place in the Americas, where 11
pastoral workers were killed (8 priests, 1 religious, 2 lay persons).
Africa came next with 10 (4 priests, 1 religious, 5 lay people); and in Asia a
priest and a lay person were killed. From 2000 to 2016, 424 pastoral
workers were killed around the world, including 5 bishops.
Violent deaths amid disregard for human life
Fides clarified that its list does not concern missionaries
“ad gentes” in the strict sense of the term, but includes all pastoral workers
who were killed not explicitly "in hatred of the faith", i.e. as
martyrs. The majority of pastoral workers were killed, sometimes
violently, during attempted robbery, in situations of economic and
cultural poverty, and moral and environmental degradation that generate
violence and disregard human life.
Many remain unknown
Fides explained that those killed are just the “tip of
the iceberg” of a long list of simple Catholics, who are assaulted, beaten,
robbed or threatened. There are Catholic institutions and facilities in
the service of entire populations that are targeted, vandalized or looted. The
Vatican’s news agency said there are also many unknown Catholics in every
corner of the world who never make news but “suffer and even pay with life for
their faith in Christ”.
Please find below the complete list of pastoral
workers killed in 2017:
AMERICA
In America, 8 priests, 1 religious brother, 2 lay people
were killed.
In Mexico alone 4 priests were killed. Fr.
Joaquin Hernandez Sifuentes disappeared on 3 January and his dead body was
found a few days later. Fr. Felipe Carrillo Altamirano who was killed on
26 March was apparently a victim of robbery. Fr. Luis Lopez Villa was killed
on 5 July by criminals who broke into his parish. Fr. José Miguel
Machorro who was stabbed on 15 May at the end of a Mass, died in hospital on
3 August.
In Bolivia, Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young
Polish volunteer of the Salvatorian Missionary Volunteers, was murdered on 24
January in Cochamamba in an attempted robbery.
In Venezuela, Franciscan Brother Diego
Bedoya was found dead on 10 April following a robbery.
In Colombia Fr. Diomer Eliver Chavarría
Pérez was killed on 27 July in his parish. Another priest, Fr. Abelardo
Antonio Muñoz Sánchez was killed on 3 October, during an attempted theft.
In Brazil, Fr. Pedro Gomes Bezerra was found
dead in the rectory on the morning of 24 August.
In Argentina Ricardo Luna, a layman, wiho
looked after a parish, was killed on 23 August.
In Haiti Fr. Joseph Simoly was killed
during an apparent robbery on 21 December.
AFRICA
In Africa, 4 priests, 1 religious sister, 5 lay people were
killed.
In South Sudan, catechist Lino of Kajo-Keji was
killed on 22 January in a chapel along with five others.
In Madagascar, Capuchin priest Fr. Lucien Njiva
was killed by robbers on 23 April in Ambendrana Antsohihy.
In Burundi Fr. Adolphe Ntahondereye died on
11 May, two weeks after his release, due to stress he suffered during his
abduction.
In Nigeria, Fr. Cyriacus Onunkwo was kidnapped
and killed in the state of Imo on 1 September. George Omondi was killed
on 18 March in an attempt to stop thieves who had targeted the church under his
charge. Elsewhere in Pulka, 3 lay catechists, Joseph, John and Patrick,
were killed in an attack by the Boko Haram Islamist militia.
In Kenya Fr. Evans Juma Oduor was found
unconscious on 22 October. He was taken to the hospital where he died.
Sister Ruvadiki Plaxedes Kamundiya was raped and killed on October 22.
ASIA
In Asia, a priest and a lay person were killed.
In the Philippines, Fr. Marcelito Paez, a social
justice activist known for defending the rights of prisoners and the poor, was
killed on December 4 by four gunmen. Elsewhere, lay catechist Domingo Edo
was killed on 20 August, while he was going to lead a liturgy of the Word.
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