Church news agency Fides estimates that the total number of Catholic priests, men and women religious and seminarians killed during 2009 was 37, the highest number in the last 10 years and nearly double the number reported in 2008. There were 30 priests, 2 religious sisters, 2 seminarians, and 3 lay volunteers.
In analyzing the list for each continent, this year, the one with the highest number were the Americas, with 23 pastoral workers killed (18 priests, 2 seminarians, 1 sister, and 2 lay persons), followed by Africa, where 9 priests, 1 religious, and 1 laymen lost their lives. In Asia, 2 priests were killed, and in Europe, one priest was killed.
The Fides list does not only include the names of missionaries ad gentes in the strict sense, but all pastoral workers who died a violent death.
“We choose not to refer to these persons as “martyrs”, since it is up to the Church to judge their possible merits, and also because of the scarcity of available information in most of cases, with regard to their life and even the circumstances of their death,” Fides says.
SIC: CTHAS