Pope Francis expressed his grief over the killing of a church worker in Honduras, expressing solidarity with those « who see their fundamental rights violated » and are targeted for their advocacy for the poor and for the care for the planet.
« I have learned with sorrow that Juan Antonio López has been killed in Honduras, » the pope said after praying the Angelus Sept. 22. « Coordinator of social pastoral care in the Diocese of Trujillo, he was a founding member of the pastoral care of integral ecology in Honduras. »
López, a Catholic human rights and environmental activist, was killed in his car by a hitman Sept. 14 after attending Mass, Vatican News reported. The 46-year-old husband and father of two recently had been working to shut down an iron oxide mine in a national park that was said to be contaminating two rivers in the area and threatening the local population’s water supply.
« I join in the grief of that church and condemn every form of violence, » Francis told visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square. « I am close to all those who see their fundamental rights violated and to those who work for the common good in response to the cry of the poor and the earth. »
In a statement after the murder, the Honduran bishops’ conference said, « We strongly repudiate this vile murder and ask the authorities not only to talk about justice, but to work diligently and sincerely in the duty of guaranteeing it to all citizens. »
The Latin American bishops’ council said Sept. 15 that López’s killing « reflects a small portion of society that is intolerant, unjust and that wants to impose its will through force. »
The U.N. Human Rights Office in Honduras said in a statement that the « measures adopted by the State of Honduras were insufficient » to protect López’s life, despite his being under government protection after receiving threats, and it called on the government to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation to hold those responsible to account.
After the Angelus, Francis also greeted a group working to raise awareness about the conditions of prisoners, noting that prisoners must be kept in dignified conditions since « anyone can make a mistake. » He also called for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar and « the many countries that are at war. »
« Unfortunately, tensions are high on the war fronts, » he said. « Let the voice of the peoples, who are calling for peace, be heard. »
