Saturday, November 1, 2008

Russia Update

Moscow, November 1, Interfax – The bodies of two Jesuit priests, Frs. Victor Betancourt and Otto Messmer, who tragically died in Moscow this week, will be transferred for burial to Ecuador and Germany, the Russian Catholic Bishops’ Conference told Interfax-Religion Saturday.

On November 5, a requiem mass will be held in the Moscow Immaculate Conception Cathedral, after which believers may pay their last tribute to the deceased. After such farewell, the bodies of the deceased will be transferred to Ecuador and Germany to be committed to earth.

The Catholic parishes of Russia will pray for the killed priests these days. In the evening of November 3, Paolo Pezzi will serve a requiem mass for the deceased in St. Louis Church in Moscow.

As was reported, the bodies of two Jesuit priests Otto Messmer and Viktor Betancourt were found stabbed in the apartment located at Petrovka, 19, building 5, which is owned by the religious organization.

Rev. Otto, a Russian national, was born in Karaganda to a big family of German Catholics on July 7, 1966. He joined the Society of Jesus on September 1, 1982 in Vilnius. He was ordained a priest on May 29, 1988. Since 2002, he was a Rector of the Russian Independent Region of the Society of Jesus.

Rev. Victor, a citizen of Ecuador, was born on July 7, 1966. He joined the organization on September 14, 1984 and was educated in Argentina and Germany. He presented his thesis for a Doctor's degree in the Papal Gregorian University in Rome. Since 2001, Rev. Viktor worked in Russia. He prepared candidates for the Society of Jesus and since 2008 acted as a representative at St. Thomas Institute of Philosophy, Theology and History in Moscow.

According to their counterparts, both priests actively helped St. Louis church in Moscow.

Link (here)

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