CBCP statement on the killing of Fr. Richmond Nilo

Beloved People of God,

We are deeply saddened and terribly disturbed that another priest is brutally killed. Fr. Richmond Nilo, parish priest of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in the Diocese of Cabanatuan was gunned down and died on the spot early evening yesterday inside the barangay chapel of Mayamot, Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, just as he was about to celebrate theSunday Holy Mass.

We strongly condemn this outrageously evil act!

We pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Fr. Nilo. We also offer our prayer for his bereaved family. We join in prayer Bp. Sofronio Bancud, SSS, the clergy, the religious, and the lay faithful of the Diocese of Cabanatuan as they face the brutal death of their own priest at the hand of bloody murderers in this time when the whole Philippine Church is celebrating 2018 as the Year of the Clergy & Consecrated Persons.

Fr. Nilo is the third Catholic priest to be murdered in the recent months. Fr. Tito Paez in December 2017, Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura in April 2018.

We make our appeal once again to the police authorities to act swiftly in the investigation and to go after the perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice. O Merciful Lord! Have pity on us!

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

(Sgd) +Romulo G. Valles
Archbishop of Davao
CBCP President
June 11, 2018