The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday urged the government to “investigate thoroughly every angle” in the killing of missionary Fr. Fausto Tentorio in Arakan, North Cotabato.
In a statement, CBCP president Nereo Odchimar said the Catholic hierarchy condemned the murder of Tentorio “who was deeply loved by the people whose spiritual welfare he looked after.”
“We condemn and denounce in the strongest possible terms the heinous and monstrous crime against the life of Father Fausto,” Odchimar said.
“The government must act decisively and swiftly. It must investigate thoroughly every angle of the murder of Father Fausto. It cannot simply point at the usual scapegoats,” he added.
Odchimar noted that Tentorio had been a missionary for more than 30 years and his “brutal murder” outside his parish in Arakan “has shocked everyone.”
“How long will evil men continue to plot against those who courageously protest the suffering of the poor and the degradation of God’s creation? How long shall they continue to snuff out the lives of those who dare to speak against injustices and imbalances in our society?” he said.
“How long will they continue to roam around freely without being brought to justice?” he added.
Odchimar said the CBCP expressed its deepest sympathies with his missionary community, diocese, and relatives in Italy.
“Our grieving with them goes beyond words. Father Fausto strove throughout his priestly and missionary life to walk humbly, act justly, and love the Lord and his people passionately,” Odchimar said.