Mexico: Pope Francis in ‘Pain and Shock’ Over Brutal Killing of Jesuit Priests in Northern Mexico

Pope Francis, who is a Jesuit himself and the first Jesuit to become pontiff, condemned the killing of two Jesuit priests, as well as one lay person inside the church in Cerocahui, Chihuahua.

At the end of his general address in front of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, the Argentinian pope talked about the recent spike in killings in Mexico. He called the two fallen priests his brothers. He expressed his dismay over their deaths, saying that he was in pain and in shock.

The Guardian reports that the two priests killed were Javier Campos Morales, 79, and Joaquín César Mora Salazar, 80. Mexican authorities have already confirmed that a man, whom Yahoo! News identified as Pedro Palma, was trying to evade some gunmen and sought shelter inside the church in Cerocahui, Chihuahua. However, the gunmen caught up and killed not only Palma, but the two elderly priests as well.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also condemned the killings.

Prime Suspect For Mexican Church Murders Named

Authorities have identified Jose Noriel Portillo Gil as the lead suspect in the Mexican church killings. According to Reuters, the Chihuahua state prosecutor's office is offering a reward worth five million Mexican pesos, or around $250,000.

According to authorities, the suspect is involved in drug trade, and is also the prime suspect in the murder of American teacher Patrick Braxton-Andrews in 2018. Braxton-Andrews was merely a tourist when he was killed by Portillo.

RTE reported that Lopez Obrador announced a manhunt against Portillo is already underway. The Mexican president also stated that the mountains in the area have already been infiltrated and dominated by crime.

Jesuit Order Demands Justice For the Mexican Church Killings

Father Luis Gerardo Moro Madrid, head of the Jesuits in Mexico, said that the bodies of the three victims were picked up by armed men, and then covered in plastic and taken away. Madrid demanded justice and the bodies of the priests be recovered.

The Jesuits have also made various TV appearances. Father Jorge Atilano Gonzalez revealed that according to a third priest present during the incident, the man who was trying to get away from the gunmen "wanted to confess." The man was described to be either drunk or high.

2 Jesuit Priests Were Doing 'Important Social Work' According To The UN

The killings of the priests also received condemnation from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico. They stated that the two slain Jesuits were carrying out important social work among the Raramuri, or Tarahumara, Indigenous people.

UN human rights representative Guillermo Fernandez-Maldonado stated that they were well known among the community, and their deaths remind everyone of the violent situation that is being faced by the Sierra Tarahumara communities in Chihuahua.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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