Second Spanish priest found murdered in Havana

Havana, Cuba, Jul 14, 2009 / 12:46 pm

A Spanish priest was found murdered in a Havana parish this week.  Initial investigations indicate that the body of Father Mariano Arroyo Murillo, 74, was found at his parish in the neighborhood of Regla.
 
According to the government officials and to the Archdiocese of Havana, the priest’s body “was found by paramedics around 6:10 a.m. local time, after the night shift security guard noticed smoke coming out of the parish.” 

Europa Press reported that Elizardo Sanchez of the Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, said the motive behind the killing has not been determined, “although theft has not been ruled out since the priest’s car was not found.”

Father Arroyo was the second Spanish priest to be killed in Cuba in five months. In February, the body of Father Eduardo de la Fuente Serrano was found on the outskirts of the Cuban capital. No motive for his murder has been determined as of yet.
 
Sanchez called the killings a grave matter and ruled out any type of conspiracy against some members of the Catholic Church.  “Priests are not seen as a threat to society; on the contrary, people are happy with them and Arroyo Murillo was very well-liked.”
 
“There is a lot a crime on the streets and this is because of economic factors, because of the crisis, because of people’s needs,” Sanchez stated.