Two Jesuit priests, as well as a man, were reportedly murdered in Chihuahua, Mexico, by armed men who were chasing the man who entered the church seeking sanctuary.
This was reported by the Jesuits of Mexico in an official statement that read:
“The Jesuits of Mexico, with deep sorrow, denounce the murder of our brothers Javier Campos Morales, S.J. and Joaquín César Mora Salazar, S.J., which occurred yesterday inside the church of the community of Cerocahui, Chihuahua.”
“We condemn these violent acts, we demand justice and the recovery of the bodies of our brothers who were taken from the church by armed persons.”
“We also demand that all protective measures be taken immediately to safeguard the lives of our Jesuit brothers, nuns, lay people, and the entire community of Cerocahui.”
“Acts such as these are not isolated. The Sierra Tarahumara, like many other regions of the country, faces conditions of violence and neglect that have not been reversed. Every day men and women are arbitrarily deprived of their lives, as our brothers were murdered today.”
“The Jesuits of Mexico will not remain silent in the face of a reality that is harming society as a whole. We will continue to be present and to work for the mission of justice, reconciliation, and peace, through our pastoral, educational, and social works.”
“In denouncing what has happened, we are also making known the pain experienced by our people because of the prevailing violence and we stand in solidarity with so many people who suffer the same situation, without their suffering attracting empathy and public attention.”
“We trust that the testimonies of the Christian life of our dear Javier and Joaquín will continue to inspire men and women to give themselves in the service of the most vulnerable.”
“May they rest in peace.
Mexican Province of the Society of Jesus”
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said during his daily news conference on Tuesday that the priests were killed by gunmen pursuing another man who sought refuge in the church. That man was also killed, the president said.
López Obrador said authorities have information about possible suspects in the killings and that the area has a strong organized crime presence.
Chihuahua’s governor, María Eugenia Campos, wrote on her Twitter account that she “laments and condemns” the killings, and said security arrangements had been discussed for priests in the area.
The killing of priests has been a persistent tragedy in Mexico, at least since the start of the drug war in 2006.
The church’s Catholic Multimedia Center said seven priests had been murdered under the current administration, which took office in December 2018, and at least two dozen under the former president, who took office in 2012. The center said that in 2021, a Franciscan priest died when he was caught in the crossfire of a drug gang shootout in the north-central state of Zacatecas as he drove to mass. Another priest was killed in the central state of Morelos and another in the violence-plagued state of Guanajuato that year.
In 2019, a priest was stabbed to death in the northern border city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas.
May their souls rest in peace.
