Two minors shot dead near Catholic church in Mexico

Puebla, Mexico, Nov 13, 2024 / 16:30 pm

The Catholic Church is mourning the death of two brothers, both minors, who were shot Nov. 9 near Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in the town of Entabladero, located in the Espinal district of Veracruz state in Mexico.

The attorney general of the state of Veracruz, Verónica Hernández Giadáns, confirmed that prosecutors, experts, and police are working to determine the facts of the case and find the whereabouts of those responsible for the murder and said that “there will be no impunity.”

Local media reports claimed that the murdered brothers were altar boys at the parish. According to the Catholic Multimedia Center, an organization that closely follows acts of violence against the Church in Mexico, one of the minors “was an altar boy and the other helped his mom with the work of cleaning the church.”

The spokesman for the Diocese of Papantla, Father Lorenzo Rivas Fuentes, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that one of the minors “was an altar boy for years,” while the other “was a person who belonged to a youth group” at the parish.

Rivas also explained that the crime did not occur inside the Catholic church, as reported by some local media, but rather occurred in a nearby plaza.

The mother of the deceased youths was until a few days ago in charge of preparing food for the priest, added the spokesman for the Mexican diocese.

Rivas called on the authorities to carry out the necessary investigations and asked the Catholic faithful to “pray for peace, pray for their eternal rest and that God comfort the families of these minors.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.