Guarabira, Brazil, Aug 26, 2017 / 15:02 pm
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.