Vatican City: Twenty-six priests, nuns and
lay Catholics were killed worldwide in 2011, with the highest
number of victims in Latin America, the Vatican's news agency
said on Friday.
"Twenty-six pastoral workers were killed in 2011, one more
than in 2010: 18 priests, four nuns and four lay people," said
the agency, part of the Congregation of the Evangelisation of
Peoples.
In 2009, 37 religious workers were killed.
"Some were victims of the violence they risked their lives
to fight against, and this year many were killed in theft or
kidnap attempts, or were surprised in their homes by bandits,"
Fides said.
For the third year in a row, more religious workers were
killed in Latin American than elsewhere. Of the 15 victims in
the region, seven were killed in Colombia, five in Mexico, one
in Brazil and one in Nicaragua.
In Africa, two priests, three nuns and a lay person were
killed.
In Asia, two priests, one nun and a lay person died, while
in Europe Father Ricardo Munoz was killed by thieves who broke
into his home in Spain.
PTI
First Published: Friday, December 30, 2011, 22:15