Vatican Grieves Murder of Portug

Elderly Priest Killed at Short Range

BAILUNDO, Angola, FEB. 10, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples expressed its sadness over the murder of Portuguese missionary Father Jos� Afonso, 80.

The priest of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, "was shot seven times at close range in the face," a church source in Angola told Fides.

"The missionary had just gone to bed when about 15 armed men broke into his room and shot him dead without even giving him time to get out of bed," reported Fides.

Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and Archbishop Robert Sarah, the dicastery's secretary, sent a telegram of sympathy to Archbishop Jos� de Queir�s Alves of Huambo and to Father Jean Paul Hoch, superior general of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, for the missionary's death.

In his message, the cardinal expressed "the heartfelt sympathy of the missionary dicastery for the grave loss of a generous servant of the Gospel."

Cardianal Sepe said that he hopes that the blood shed by the priest "will become a seed of Christian forgiveness, faith, hope and charity.'

"I assure fervent prayers for the eternal repose of this chosen soul," he said.

Police think the motive was robbery. "[T]he modest house was turned upside down and the catechist, the missionary's assistant, was threatened and ordered to hand over objects of value," Fides reported.

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