Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Havana (Agenzia Fides) – The Archdiocese of Havana has released a statement expressing its condolences to the family members and friends and brother priests of Spanish religious Fr. Eduardo de la Fuente Serrano, who was found dead in the Cuban capital city amidst circumstances that are still under investigation.
According to a statement from the Archbishop's Office, on the morning of February 14, police authorities and the government were informed of the discovery of Fr. Eduardo's body in northeast Havana and that, according to preliminary investigations, the priest had been the victim of crime. Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of Havana, has been following the tragic situation from Spain.
In accord with sources at the Spanish Consulate, the priest's body was found dead, apparently the victim of a “stabbing” in an abandoned ally behind the national zoo, in Havana. The priest's vehicle was found abandoned in the area of Bauta, about 20 kilometers from where his body had been left.
“The police investigation is still underway,” the statement from the Archbishop's Office says, affirming that “the Church is ready to help in facilitating the investigation.” At the moment, the motives of the killing are unclear and there are several theories. The Church considers the act “a strange and unusual incident.” Thus, in light of this tragic event they ask God to grant eternal rest to the soul of Fr. Eduardo and to have mercy on his attackers, expressing “our closeness and support for all the missionaries who come from other nations to serve the Church and the Cuban people.” Fr. Eduardo de la Fuente Serrano was 61 years old, from Guadalix de la Sierra, in the Province of Madrid, and had been working for three years in Cuba as Pastor of the Church of Saint Clare of Assisi, in a part of Havana called Lawton, where he carried out humanitarian aid services.
According to one family member, Eduardo de la Fuente began working in Havana 10 years ago – during the summer, substituting a priest every July – but he “was so dedicated to the country that he finally decided to move there permanently, three years ago” to help the needy in the neighborhood where he lived. In Madrid, before going off to Cuba, he worked in the Parish of “El Rosario” in Carabanchel.
Authorities from the Spanish Consulate in Cuba mentioned that they are working to repatriate the body of Eduardo de la Fuente “as soon as possible.” (RG) (Agenzia Fides 16/2/2009)
