Catholic Priest Shot and Killed in Mexico, Bishops Demand Investigation
Father Roman de la Cruz Hernandez, parish priest of Santa Cruz in Huejutla, Hidalgo state, was found shot to death on September 15 along a highway in the Lolotla district. The Mexican Bishops' Conference said it received the news with indignation and sadness and called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to clarify the facts and ensure justice is served swiftly. Bishop Jose Hirais Acosta Beltran of the Diocese of Huejutla asked the public not to speculate about the crime while authorities investigate, and denounced what he called the alarming violence affecting the country.
De la Cruz is at least the fourth priest killed in Mexico during President Claudia Sheinbaum's term, part of a pattern Mexico's bishops have tracked of roughly two dozen violent incidents against church members in recent years. Bishop Acosta called for a culture of peace and reconciliation aimed at ending the violence. No suspects had been publicly identified at the time of this report.
