Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides) - "We do not believe in the police’s version. The person arrested is an excuse to divert the investigation into the killing of our nuns", says to Fides Agency Sister Delia Guadagnini, former Regional Superior of the Xaverian Missionaries in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, who knew the three nuns very well.
The Burundian police said they had arrested the culprit of the murder of the three Xaverian missionaries, Sister Lucia Pulici, Sister Olga Raschietti and Sister Bernadetta Boggian, savagely killed on Sunday, September 7 in the mission of Kamenge, a district in the North of Bujumbura, capital of Burundi (see Fides 08/09/2014; 09/09/2014).
Christian Claude Butoyi, 33, killed the three religious because he believed that their convent was built on land that belonged to his family.
"We do not think that this horrible crime was committed by a single person - says Sister Delia Guadagnini -. The Lord will judge. However, we will continue with our mission".
The nun continued: "yesterday morning in Bujumbura, at the funeral of our sisters, we felt comforted by the presence of a vast number of people, from the simplest to the authorities. Immediately after the funeral the journey of the funeral procession began. We were escorted by the police of Burundi to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Then, once we crossed the border, we arrived in Luvungi where all three of our missionaries had worked for a long time. There we stopped to celebrate a Mass of suffrage. We left this morning at 6 am, we hope to arrive at 11 for Mass", says Sister Delia and concludes: "I am going to take the place left by the nuns killed". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/09/2014)
