2016 Deadliest Year for Catholic Priests in Mexico

[douglas9]

Mexico remains the most dangerous country in the world for Catholic priests, according to a report from the Catholic Church that calls out the government for its lack of action in the face of rising violence against religious officials.

This year was the most deadly year for priests in Mexico since the Catholic Church started keeping count, and this is the eighth consecutive year that Mexico has been labelled the most dangerous country in the world for religious officials -- a macabre trend that began soon after the launch of the militarized crackdown on drug cartels ten years ago.

Three priests were murdered this year -- two in Veracruz and another in Michoacán -- and the report states that four catechists were also killed.

A total of 61 attacks occurred against church members in Mexico between 1990 and 2016, according to the report published by the Catholic Media Center (Centro Católico Mulitmedial), showing an alarming increase of 375 percent over that time period in the number of priests who have been murdered.

http://www.insightcrime.org/component/content/article?id=8434:2016-deadliest-year-for-catholic-priests-in-mexico

[rug]

1. I wonder why they're being targeted.

[shrike]

2. A bishop was murdered down there as well, though not in 2016

Catholic Priests, are among the bravest drug war heroes of Mexico, and they are being killed at an escalating and appalling rate. Few are reporting the full story, or are reporting the numbers inaccurately, including the Catholic Church.




The fact that Mexico is one of the most dangerous places on earth for reporters is well known, what is far less written about is the violence perpetrated against Catholic Priests.



Mexico is officially now the most dangerous place on earth for Catholic Priests. While long in the top group of most dangerous places for priests, Mexico is now its leader. For the sixth consecutive year, Mexico tops the list in murders and disappearances of Catholic priests in Latin America.



What must be established, murders and kidnappings of priests receive little attention outside regional reporting hubs. It is a perplexing, how a story of dozens of priests being murdered by cartels during 2 administrations goes unrecognized, or for example, a story about 5 priests being killed in November–December of 2013 in Tamaulipas and Veracruz, is but a tiny blip on the media radar.

http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2015/03/dozens-of-catholic-priests-murdered-by.html

[rug]

3. That's informative. Thanks.