Priest murdered near Mumbai

(April 29, 2010) In India, a priest was killed late Wednesday night in Baboola, one kilometer from the house of the bishop of Vasai, an ancient town near Mumbai in Maharashtra State. The motive for the murder is unknown. The priest, Fr. Peter Bombacha, was about to turn 74 years old and was loved and respected by all people. Archbishop Felix Machado, Bishop of Vasai, arrived on the scene of the crime on Thursday morning. Shocked and saddened at the sight of the slain priest, he told AsiaNews: "Fr. Peter was a priest full of faith, serving the Church and the people without discrimination of caste or creed. He forgot himself, to serve the most poor and abandoned. When a man answers the call,” he added, “his life belongs completely to God and the people. Even in a death as tragic and painful as that of Fr Peter, a priest belongs to God. His life and his death will be fruitful for the Church and for India,” he said.