Violence has struck the Church again in Puebla, one of Mexico’s most traditionally Catholic cities. A 20-year-old man, Álvaro Meneses González, was shot and killed 17 February while painting the exterior of the Lord of Mercy chapel as part of a community service crew.
According to local reports, a gunman stepped out of a vehicle around 6:40pm and opened fire, hitting Meneses five times.
Catechism classes were underway inside the church at the time. The Archdiocese of Puebla condemned the attack, calling it a sign of a growing disregard for the sacredness of human life and urging unity to break what it described as a spiral of revenge and hatred.
No suspects have been arrested, and the motive remains unclear. The killing follows a January arson attack on Puebla’s cathedral.
Church leaders are planning prayers and an act of reparation, as Mexico continues to grapple with cartel-driven violence and national peace-building efforts.
The Jesuits’ Mexico province and the Conference of Religious Superiors of Mexico recently organized the second edition of a peace-building initiative known as the National Dialogue for Peace. Organisers called for prioritising victims of violence – including the families of Mexico’s tens of thousands of missing persons.
