Another priest killed

AMERICA/COLOMBIA - 

 

Barranquilla (Agenzia Fides) - Another priest has been killed in Colombia. Father José Antonio Bayona Valle, 48 years old, a diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of Barranquilla (Colombia) was killed last night with 18 stab wounds. The priest was found on a path in the area of the village of Juan Mina.
The Archdiocese of Barranquilla reported to Fides that the priest was ordained on December 20, 1998 and served as pastor of the parish of Christ the King in the southwest of Barranquilla in the neighborhood called Lipaya. The Archdiocese stresses the violence carried out against the priest. The Catholic community is very saddened and the authorities are working to clarify this brutal murder.
In Colombia a priest was killed in 2012; in 2011 6 priests and 1 lay person were killed; in 2010 three priests and a religious were killed; in 2009 5 priests and 1 lay person died violently. In 2013, 4 Colombians priests have been killed so far. 

The funeral of the priest killed will be celebrated today, the Bishop denounces the widespread violence in the country

"We denounce this crime which clearly shows, once again, the difficult situation that our society lives, far away from the real experience of communion and fraternity, with widespread violence that causes an alarming number of victims in the country," said a statement sent to Fides by the Archdiocese of Barranquilla, concerning the murder of father José Antonio Bayona Valle.  "We vehemently repudiate this heinous act that took away the life of the priest Valle Bayonne, causing a deep pain within the Church and in the communities where he worked as a minister of the Lord," adds the text.
"The Archdiocese of Barranquilla renews its commitment to peace and announces with more force the convocation of the March for Life scheduled for Sunday, May 19, at 3 p.m. in Barranquilla and in all the towns in the area, pointing out that the main objective is to demonstrate the rejection of any form of violence that threatens human life."
The funeral of the priest will be celebrated today, May 8, at 9:00 am at María Reina Cathedral, presided over by the Archbishop of Barranquilla, Mgr. Jairo Jaramillo Monsalve and concelebrated by the presbytery archiepiscopal. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 08/05/2013)