The Jesuits in Mexico have said two of their priests were murdered while trying to defend a man who was seeking refuge in a church while being being pursued by an armed person.
A statement from Jesuit provincial of Mexico Father Luis Gerardo Moro Madrid June 21 informed “with deep sorrow and a sense of anguish” about the murder of Fathers Fathers Javier Campos and Joaquín Mora in the afternoon of June 20 in Cerocahui, Tarahumara, a remote mountainous area of northern Mexico.
The murders took place in the context of the violence that Mexico has been experiencing for years, the message further explained.
The provincial said they are working with the federal and state authorities to ensure the safety of their other members – Esteban Cornejo, Jesús Reyes, and Jesús Zaglul along with the parish’s pastoral team.
“We publicly condemn this tragedy and demand a prompt investigation and safety for the community,” he further said. We will keep you informed about the next actions that we, as the Mexican Jesuit Province, will be taking.
Jesuit superior general Father Arturo Sosa said he was “shocked and saddened by this news” and that his thoughts and prayers are with the Jesuits in Mexico and the families of the men.
“We have to stop violence in our world and so much unnecessary suffering,” asserted the leader of the largest religious congregation for men in the Catholic Church.