A Catholic priest who was attacked while celebrating Mass in Mexico City in May has died in hospital.
The local archdiocese announced this morning that Fr José Miguel Machorro, who was presiding over Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral during the attack, died after falling into a coma last night.
The Archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, wrote on Twitter: 'I commend the soul of Fr Miguel Machorro and ask God to grant strength to his family. May he be in the Glory of God.'
Machorro, aged 55, was attacked while celebrating the final Mass of the day on May 15. The attacker was identified as Juan René Silva Martínez, 32, who was later revealed to be suffering a 'psychotic disturbance', the Catholic Herald reported. The priest was in and out of hospital since the attack.
This morning, the Cathedral's Twitter account said simply 'rest in peace'.
The death follows the news earlier this month that a third priest had been killed in Mexico this year.
A statement from the local diocese said: 'With great pain and dismay we inform of the death of our diocesan priest Luis Lopez Villa, 71, who on July 5 was killed by criminals who managed to break into San Isidro Labrador Parish, in the municipality de Los Reyes.'
World Watch Monitor reports that Christians are often targeted because they stand against the drug trade by, for example, setting up rehabilitation centres. It says there are other reasons too. 'Christians are also targeted because of the perception that churches and their leaders have a lot of money, so congregations offer a ready source of cash – cartels can simply enter, lock the doors and ask the congregation to empty their pockets.'
A priest was killed in March, while a bishop went missing in January, only to be found dead later. These are just the latest incidents in a rising trend of violence towards clergy. Other Christians have also been targeted.
Mexico's drug trade has claimed numerous casualties in recent years. Christian Solidarity Worldwide said: 'The number of violations of freedom of religion or belief, specifically threats against and attacks on religious leaders by criminal networks, has risen in recent years across the country.'
In contrast to other North American countries, Mexico is predominantly Catholic, with a significant Protestant community and much smaller numbers of adherents of other religions.
