Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tunis (Agenzia Fides) - “A criminal act that does not exclude other motives,” stated Bishop Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham of Tunis to Fides, defining the murder of Father Marek Rybinsk, the Polish Salesian missionary whose lifeless body was found on the morning of 18 February in a local Salesian school in Manouba.
Bishop Lahham describes the circumstances of Fr Rybinsk's death: “Fr Rybinsk left the mission house around noon on Thursday, 17 February, leaving his car at the mission. The next day, Friday 18, we found the computer in his room turned on. We therefore believe that someone called him with an excuse to get him to leave the house. That person kidnapped Fr Rybinsk on 17 February and then killed him the next day. His body was found in a warehouse at the school. The murderer, or murderers, are people who are familiar with the buildings, because the warehouse is hidden behind the school, and they also knew that Fr Rybinsk had the keys. I saw his body at around 1.00 pm before the blood was coagulated, a fact confirmed by the coroner. So the murder took place a few hours before.” The missionary was beheaded.
“The Salesians received a threatening letter with a request for money 15 days ago, or they would come to kill them at home,” says Archbishop Lahham. “The letter was written in excellent French and was signed with the Nazi swastika. The Fathers made a complaint to the police. The officers responded that they took action and invited the missionaries to say whether the robbers made any further threats. Unfortunately they acted in this way.”
Yesterday evening, 18 February, Archbishop Lahham presided over a Mass in memory of the murdered priest at the Cathedral of Tunis. Fr Rybinsk was 33 years old, and came from the Inspectorate of Warsaw (Poland). He was ordained a priest in May 2005. In September of 2007 he went to Manouba where he served as treasurer of the community. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 19/2/2011)
