Mexico: Jesuits Hold Moment of Silence for Slain Priests

Weeks after two Jesuit priests and a tour guide were killed inside the church in Cerocahui, Chihuahua, the Roman Catholic Church began a special round of prayers for peace in the country. Jesuits, the order of which the two slain priests were part, also held a moment of silence for them.

The two priests tried helping a man who sought refuge inside their church. However, several armed men arrived and killed the man, as well as the two priests. They then wrapped their bodies in black plastic and drove away. A local drug gang may have been responsible for their deaths, according to authorities.

Jesuits Say They Will Not Be Intimidated

Dozens gathered at the downtown monument, the Stella of Light, as the Jesuits held a moment of silence for their murdered brethren. According to THE Associated Press, the priests said they will not be intimidated into leaving the Tarahumara mountains where the murders took place. They will continue their mission and minister to the Rarámuri Indigenous community in the region.

Jesuit priest Rev. Jorge Atilano González spoke to the media and said that they are starting a cycle of prayers for peace at the national level. They are also doing this to mark the memory of "all the people killed and disappeared." He added that they are remembering not only the priests but also the "journalists, the social activists and the young people who have died violently."

Mexico is now considered the deadliest country for journalists, according to the Washington Post, as 12 journalists have been killed inside the country so far this year.

Father González also said that in addition to continuing their mission in the region, they have already assigned their replacements. Two new Jesuit priests will be heading to the Tarahumara mountains and continuing the work of the two fallen priests, Javier Campos Morales, 79, and Joaquín César Mora Salazar, 80.

The local tour guide who fled to the church and was killed alongside the priests was identified as Pedro Palma.

Murdered Jesuit Priests Were Doing Important Social Work for the Rarámuri

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico have praised the two priests for their service. They stated that the two Jesuits carried out important social work among the Raramuri, or Tarahumara, Indigenous people. They also said that they were well known among their community, and their murders are a reminder of the violent situation these indigenous people face.

The Mexican church killings have sent a shockwave across Mexico. Reuters reported that authorities identified the lead suspect in the killings as Jose Noriel Portillo Gil. The Chihuahua state prosecutor's office is offering a reward for information leading to his capture, and it is worth five million Mexican pesos, or around $250,000.

The Church is also praying for the killers, as the bishops' council of Mexico is conducting a prayer on July 31 for the conversion or redemption of the men of killed the two priests.

Meanwhile, Father González said that they are still asking for justice and the strengthening of local institutions. He added that having the army or the National Guard present is not enough, and Mexico needs to have "stronger local institutions."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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