Bogotá, Colombia, May 8, 2013 / 15:03 pm
The Bishops' Conference of Colombia lamented the "atrocious" murder of Father Jose Antonio Valle Bayona, whose body was found in a ditch in rural area of Barranquilla.
In a statement issued today, the bishops recalled that 48 year-old Father Valle was pastor of Christ the King Parish in the Archdiocese of Barranquilla.
Police have offered an $11,000 reward for anyone providing information about the identity and location of those responsible for the May 6 killing. The priest had been stabbed 17 times, mostly in the face and neck.
The Archdiocese of Barranquilla, led by Archbishop Jairo Jaramillo Monsalve, said in its message that the entire community and all of its members "repudiate this atrocious act that took the life of Father Valle Bayona, causing profound sorrow in the heart of the Church and in the communities where he worked as an ordained minister of the Lord."