Santiago (Fides Service) - The funeral of Italian missionary Father Faustino Gazziero, murdered on Saturday 24 July after saying Mass in Santiago cathedral, will be held on Tuesday 27 July at 10am. Father Faustino Gazziero, a member of the congregation of the Servants of Mary, was stabbed to death as he returned to the sacristy at about 6.30 at the end of the evening Mass by a heavily built young man. The man is now in police custody. There has been an unceasing flow of people coming to pray and offer their condolences to the Servants of Maria community which has about 50 religious several of them missionaries in the Vicariate of the Institute which covers Chile, Bolivia and Peru.
Father Gazziero, aged 69 went on mission in Chile to 1960, immediately after his ordination. For some years he was President of the Santa Teresa Foundation which runs several schools in Chile. He was also involved in pastoral ministry at the city cemetery and with the elderly. Cardinal Francisco Errazuriz Ossa, Archbishop Santiago, has strongly condemned this crime. He said that the missionary was tireless in his mission of evangelisation in Chile, devoting much of his time to education and celebrating mass regularly in the cathedral. “Father Faustino was killed because he was a priest of Jesus Christ, ” the Cardinal said at the end of the solemn mass for the Feast of Saint James. “The prince of darkness, Satan, continues his battle against light, but he has already been defeated by Jesus Christ who is risen from the dead and who is life, hope and light for all humanity ”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 26/7/2004; Righe 21 - Parole 307)