AFRICA/ANGOLA - Funeral of Fr. José Afonso Moreira, 80 year old missionary shot dead yesterday in his bed with seven bullets

Friday, 10 February 2006

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Luanda (Fides Service)- This morning at 10am at the mission church in Bailundo 60 km north of Huambo local Catholics and missionaries attended the funeral of Fr José Afonso Moreira 80 year old Portuguese missionary of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) shot dead yesterday 9 February in his home in Bailundo in Angola, (see Fides 9 February 2006). The funeral was presided by Archbishop José de Querisós Alvers Archbishop of Huambo. A number of Spiritan missionaries were flown for the occasion from the capital Luanda to Bailundo by a military aircraft made available by the authorities. Bailundo is in fact in an isolated area with very few roads and is therefore difficult to reach by car.
More information with regard to the tragic circumstances of the missionary’s death has been released. “Fr. Moreira was shot seven times at close range in the face” say local Church sources in Angola. “The missionary had just gone to bed when about 15 armed men broke into his room and shot him dead without even giving him time to get out of bed”.
Police think the motive was a robbery rather than a political reason. “It would appear to be the work of bandits because the modest house was turned upside down and the catechist, the missionary’s assistant, was threatened and ordered to hand over non existing objects of value” the sources reported. “Sad to say banditry is spreading and people kill for no reason at all”.
“Fr. Moreira was loved by all for his witness of service and love for mission even in times of difficulty” the sources said. “For forty years he served in Bailundo during the long years of civil war 1975-2002. Bailundo was occupied by the UNITA rebel forces (National Union for Total Independence of Angola) and then by the regular army. Nevertheless Fr. Moreira remained neutral, refusing any comprise so he could continue to announce the Gospel and serve others in the freedom of the children of God ”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 10/2/2006 righe 32 parole 392)