One Month after the Shocking Murder of two Priests and two Laymen of the Society of Jesus, Mexican Jesuits Denounce Impunity and Call for Justice.
Newsroom (02/08/2022 09:15 PM, Gaudium Press) A month after the murder of two Jesuit priests and two laymen in Mexico, the Society of Jesus in the country is calling for justice.
The crime took place on 20 June in the city of Cerocahui, in the state of Chihuahua. Priests Javier Campos and Joaquin Mora and two lay brothers of the Society of Jesus were killed.
A Crime that Shocked the Country
Shortly after the murder, the Mexican Bishops’ Conference condemned the crime and called for a swift investigation.
Mexico has a high level of homicides and the murder of the religious runs the risk of being forgotten. For this reason, the Society of Jesus in Mexico has written a message asking that justice be done.
Call for Justice
The Company’s message begins by condemning impunity: “We are convinced that if impunity prevails – as it has up to now – it will not be possible to advance towards reconciliation and peace”.
The text also points out the absence of the State in the region and the continuous appeal of the Society of Jesus to the authorities in order to guarantee the right of the rural communities and more security for the region.
One Case Among So Many Others
“The premature murder of our Jesuit brothers reminds us of the experience of so many victims of violence who continue to wait for justice and truth in our suffering Mexico,” the message continues.
The Jesuits reiterate the call for dialogue “to review the current security policy”. The message thanks all national and international solidarity and joins all those who suffer in Mexico because of the same impunity to ask for a country with “peace, dignity and human rights”.
The Pope and the Bishops Call for Peace and Security
Following the death of the Jesuits, Pope Francis lamented the murder at a conference on 22 June. The Pontiff stated that violence does not diminish poverty, “but increases useless sufferings.”
Mexico’s bishops have called for more security for the country’s religious. Indeed, according to the NGO Centro Católico Multimedial some thirty priests have been killed in Mexico over the past decade. (FM)
Compiled by Florence MacDonald
