Father Manuel Ubaldo Jáuregui Vega, 36, Xaverian missionary from Yarumal (Institute for Foreign Missions of Yarumal), born in Cúcuta, Colombia, was killed in Zango, in the municipality of Viana, Luanda, capital of Angola (Central Africa). A brief note from the communications manager of this missionary Congregation informs that the events took place on the afternoon of last Sunday, March 7. The missionary had been working in this country for 6 years.

According to the note sent to Fides News Agency by Radio Caracol, Colombia, the missionary, after a slight accident in a parking lot, in which he had damaged a motorcycle with his car, got out to see the damage caused and was attacked by the owner of the motorcycle, causing him serious injuries. Taken to the hospital, the priest died, while his attacker was arrested by the police.

Local media reported that police identified the owner of the motorcycle only as “Ghost”. While trying to the car parking, he added, the priest hit a motorcycle, whose owner, identified only as “Ghost,” struck him with a knife, The priest suffered two knife blows in the abdomen region and in the left lower limb, after getting out of the vehicle to check if there was damage to the motorcycle, in order to repair them, according to Luanda Provincial Command of the National Police.

The priest was assistant parish priest of the Holy Trinity Parish of the Missionary Community of the Xaverians of Yarumal in Luanda. The priest’s family asked the Colombian government for help in repatriating the body.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Luanda was founded in 1596 as the Diocese of São Paulo de Loanda alias Angola e Congo (Angola in Congo), on territory split off from the then Roman Catholic Diocese of São Salvador da Congo (now Roman Catholic Diocese of Mbanza Congo. It was elevated to its current form on 4 September 1940. It is based in the capital, Luanda.

As of 2004, The archdiocese was home to approximately 4.84 million people, approximately 3.06 million of them being Roman Catholic (63.1 percent). There are approximately 150 priests serving over 3 million Catholics.