Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Mexico City (Agenzia Fides) - Over the last 24 years, 47 attacks against members of the Catholic Church have been committed, of whom 45 are minor offenses and 2 correspond to priests who have disappeared. These data indicate, unfortunately, that Mexico has become the most dangerous country in Latin America where to exercise the priestly ministry.
This is what the research unit of the Catholic Multimedia Center (CCM) highlights, which refers to the Mexican Episcopal Conference, which has just published its annual 2014 report and indicates the Mexican priests, religious and laity who have lost their lives in Mexico, "because of their effective pastoral action and sense of absolute fidelity to Christ and Church", says the note sent to Fides by the CCM.
The report presents the list of pastoral workers who have died in a violent way in Mexico from 1990 to 2014: 1 Cardinal, 34 priests, one deacon, 3 religious, 5 lay members and a Catholic journalist. It also registers an increase of these cases during the administration of the last government of Enrique Peña Nieto.
In 2014 alone, 3 priests have been murdered, and an attack against a layman who accompanied a priest was committed. The latter survived a shootout, after the failed kidnapping attempt. In the last 12 months, two priests from the Archdiocese of Acapulco, Guerrero died due to the actions carried out by violent groups. Another priest of the Diocese of Atlacomulco, State of Mexico, was killed during a robbery perpetrated in the church where he was pastor. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 23/12/2014)
