As the congregation prayed for the late Father Marcelo Pérez, who defended the rights of Mexico’s indigenous communities, Sister María de los Dolores Palencia Gómez said his murderers “must not go unpunished.”
Vatican News
On October 20, Father Marcelo Pérez, parish priest of Cuxtitli, Mexico, was murdered while celebrating mass.
Sister María de los Dolores Palencia Gómez, of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Mexico, who is currently attending the general assembly of the Synod, spoke to Vatican News about the murder.
a priest for peace
Sister Maria said that in the prayer before the start of the Synod on October 21, a prayer was made for the eternal peace of the soul of the late Father and the Synod participants expressed their condolences to the world Church and the people of Mexico.
He called Father Marcelo a warrior of peace who tried to bring dialogue and justice to the poorest. As a member of an indigenous community in Mexico, he worked for the rights of the Tzotzil community and spoke out against violence in the country.
Sister Maria called Father’s murderers a sign that there are people who want to cause division in the community.
Chiapas: a region marked by trafficking and poverty
Forced migration has fostered a culture of violence in Mexico, particularly in the state of Chiapas, where Father Marcelo was from.
Chiapas is located on the border with Guatemala, where there is a constant flow of migrants from South America, Asia, Africa and European countries. Sister María stressed that this stay “is not for tourism, relationships or studies; This is a needs-driven migration,” and people come with many needs.
Sister María explained that Chiapas is one of the states that “experiences intense violence due to the regional conflict amid the exchange of prisoners who traffic drugs.” According to the non-governmental organization Insight Crime, the state of Chiapas is key for the smuggling of drugs, weapons and migrants into the United States.
Sister Maria says violence, rivalry, theft and kidnapping have led to internal migration and, “in some cases, division between communities, conflict and mistrust between people who have lived together for a long time in sisterhood”.
bring awakening
The Mexican sister insisted that the murderers of Father Marcelo should not go unpunished and said that justice must be defended so that “what is happening in these areas is not forgotten.”
His death is the latest incident in the state this year. From January to August there have been almost 500 murders, compared to 309 last year.
“We need to shout and make the world listen,” Sister Maria explained, “there are many conditions that go against humanity and creation.”
