Pope Francis has sent a telegram condemning the recent murders of two priests in Mexico and expressing sadness at such "inexcusable violence".
Sent by the Vatican's secretary of state Pietro Parolin on the pontiff's behalf, the telegram assured the priests' diocese and families that Francis was praying for them, Vatican Radio reported.
The bullet-riddled bodies of Alejo Nabor Jimenez Juarez and Jose Alfredo Suarez de la Cruz were found Monday on a roadside in the state of Veracruz’s northern city of Poza Rica after they were abducted on Sunday.
The papal telegram was addressed to Bishop Trinidad Zapata of Papantla, where the priests served, Vatican Radio reported.
In it Francis offered prayers “for the eternal repose of these priests of Christ, victims of an inexcusable violence.”
Veracruz is one of Mexico's most dangerous states and Poza Rica has been the scene of drug-related gang violence and trafficking for years.
But it's unclear why the Catholic priests were targeted.
Priests have been killed before in Mexico, but many of the killings have occurred in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero. The two murders bring the total number of Catholic priests killed in Mexico since 2012 to 14.
