Brazilian priest found stabbed to death in his home

August 26, 2017 CNA Daily News News Briefs 0 Print

Guarabira, Brazil, Aug 26, 2017 / 04:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A priest in the northeastern Brazilian state of Paraiba was found dead in his rectory Thursday morning, with signs of having been stabbed, according to police.

The body of Fr. Pedro Gomes Bezerra, who was to have turned 50 at the end of this month, was discovered Aug. 24 in Borborema, about 20 miles northwest of Guarabira. His body was found wrapped in sheets in his residence, which was in shambles. According to the local press the investigation found some 29 punctures on his body.

The priest’s car was not in the garage, but there were no signs of the house having been broken into.

“Even though we are in mourning, let us stand united in prayer, professing our faith in the resurrection of the dead. And may the Lord grant eternal rest to Fr. Pedro Gomes,” read a statement from the Diocese of Guarabira, of which Fr. Bezerra was a priest.

The priest’s neighbors reported they did not notice any strange movements in the house. The police were notified by the parish secretary, who was surprised to see the doors closed when she came to work.

The Chief of Police of the Civil Police, Joao Alves, told Portal MaisPB an investigation of the crime will be initiated.

Fr. Bezerra’s death is being mourned by the city of Borborema and by Belem, where he worked from 1999 to 2007.

Belem’s mayor declared three days of mourning and recalled that Fr. Bezerra had left “an importance legacy of faith and social works, such as the Good Shepherd Shelter.”

“We pray to God to comfort his relatives, friends, and the Diocese of Guarabira in this moment of grief and of irreparable loss,” she said.

Fr. Pedro is being buried in Guarabira on Friday.

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Meet the four-legged Franciscan ‘friar’

March 8, 2017 CNA Daily News 0

Cochabamba, Bolivia, Mar 8, 2017 / 11:12 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The newest member of St. Francis Monastery in Cochabamba, Bolivia, is furry and has four legs.

His name is Friar Carmelo, but they’ve nicknamed him Friar Bigotón (Spanish for mustache).

The friars found the stray schnauzer on the streets and decided to adopt him as one of their own, even going so far as to outfit the pup with his own Franciscan habit.

“Sometimes we brothers have a laugh among ourselves and there is a brother here that is also called Carmelo, who has a moustache, so that was sort of the inspiration [behind his name],” one of the friars told local television channel ATB.

In Facebook photos posted by Franciscan friar Kasper Mariusz Kapron which have been shared hundreds of times, Friar Carmelo can be seen running and playing throughout the monastery grounds, and even “preaching to the fish” in the monastery pond.
"Brother Carmelo preaching to the fish." Credit: Kasper Mariusz Kapro? Ofm“His life is all about playing and running,” friar Jorge Fernandez told The Dodo. “Here, all of the brothers love him very much. He is a creature of God.”

The adoption was made possible by animal rescue group Proyecto Narices Frías (Cold Nose Project). The animal group stated in a post on Facebook that they hoped more religious groups would be inspired by the story to adopt animals in need.

“If only all the churches of our country adopt a dog and care for him like Friar Bigotón,” the group wrote in a post on Facebook, “we are sure that the parishioners would follow his example.”

The friars told local media that the dog has a bit of a naughty side, and has been known to chew things or hide them in the monastery garden. Still, he remains a beloved part of monastery life.

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