AFRICA/KENYA - The murdered Bishop’s generosity may have been misunderstood. “Bishop Locati lived very simply giving everything he had to the needy Christians and Muslim alike

Friday, 15 July 2005

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Nairobi (Fides ) - “Bishop Locati lived very simply giving everything he had to the needy Christians and Muslim alike” said person who worked closely with Bishop Luigi Locati and asked not to be named. Bishop Locati Vicar Apostolic of Isolo northern Kenya, died yesterday of gun wounds after being ambushed by a gang of armed bandits.
“His generosity may have been misunderstood. In fact Bishop Locati had received threats from people who made demands which he could not meet ” the source told Fides. “Perhaps this is the key to the crime: a request for money or something else which the Bishop could not or would not fulfill armed the hand of the assassins”.
“The Bishop had received threats and was always accompanied by at least one of the guards at the Pastoral Centre where he was killed” the source said. “Yesterday evening the assassins struck one of the guards on the head and Bishop Locati on the back and then finished him off with at least two shots in the head”.
“The did not take any money but the Bishop’s mobile has disappeared. It is too early to say whether the reason was something to do with money. The police are investigatig and we are waiting for their report” the source concluded.
Bishop Locati leaves a number of projects for the benefit of the local people regardless of social, tribal or religious condition. These include two secondary schools for boys and girls in Merti parish. “Unfortunately these schools were the centre of protests and tension with parents who wanted local personnel to run the schools” another source told Fides. The schools were closed for a while and then in July 2004 Bishop Locati decided to reopen them. It could be that his decision upset those who wanted exclusive control of the institutes.
Bishop Locati had been attacked before. In September last year some men were waiting for him when he left the canteen after supper and was walking to his home only 100 yards away all inside the Pastoral Centre where there is also the church. The Bishop was attacked when he reached the front door of his house but the guards came to his rescue. In March this year a small bomb exploded in front of his house but without causing any damage .
Bishop Luigi Locati was born at Vinzaglio, archdiocese of Vercelli 23 July 1928. He was ordained on June 29 1952. In1962 he was sent on mission as a “Fidei Donum” priest to Kenya, diocesi of Meru. In 1963 he was appointed parish priest at Isolo and then in 1995 first Bishop of the new Vicariate Apostolic Isiolo which was territory taken from the diocese of Meru. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 15/7/2005 righe 39 parole 505)