Mexican priest brutally murdered, as assault on Catholic leaders continues to escalate

A priest in the western Mexican state of Michoacan has been brutally murdered, becoming the ninth slain in the country in the past four years.

Rev Javier García Villafaña’s body was found with several gunshot wounds, inside a vehicle he was driving near Capacho on the shores of Cuitzeo lake.

His death came one day after Monsignor Faustino Armendáriz Jiménez, archbishop of the northern state of Durango, was attacked in the state’s cathedral by an elderly man who tried to stab him.  He escaped uninjured.

In a statement, the Mexican Episcopal Conference condemned the killing of Rev Garcia and the attack on Monsignor Faustino and called on authorities to find those responsible.

“It is a painful reminder of the serious situation we face as a society, in which the presence of organised crime and impunity continue to threaten the lives and safety of so many,” the statement said.

According to the charity Open Doors, Christian leaders are often seen as a threat or symbol of defiance to criminal gangs controlling an area. If Christians refuse to comply with their demands or vocalise opposition to their criminal activities they risk being brutally beaten, kidnapped or murdered.