- Three priests stabbed in monastery
- Suspect arrested, motive unknown
- Pope refers to victims as martyrs
Three Egyptian Coptic Orthodox priests have perished at the hands of stab wounds in a South African monastery.
Police announced on Wednesday that a 35-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the murders in Gauteng province; however, they had yet to determine the motive for the crime.
The suspect, whose identity remained confidential, was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
Tuesday, inside the Saint Mark the Apostle and Saint Samuel the Confessor Monastery in Cullinan, a town located 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of the capital, Pretoria, police reported the murders of the three monks.
“According to the police statement, three of the victims were discovered with stab wounds, and the surviving fourth victim claimed he was struck on the hand with an iron rod before fleeing and hiding in one of the rooms.”
It continued, “Nothing was removed from the scene.”
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the investigations into the murder of three Egyptian priests were “closely monitored.”
The Coptic Orthodox Church stated that Hegumen Takla el-Samuely, Yostos Ava Markos, and Mina Ava Markos were all Egyptian nationals.
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“Without a doubt, it is a distressing incident,” Pope Tawadros II said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that a delegation from the church had been dispatched to South Africa and referring to the monks as “martyrs.”
“Although numerous rumors circulate, the integrity of the situation remains obscure at this time. We offer consolation to their families, the local church, and ourselves.”
The pope added that while no date has been set for the monks’ funeral, it is probable that they will be interred in South Africa, where they adhered to tradition while serving.
Although violent assaults on places of worship are uncommon in South Africa, Islamic militants have targeted the Coptic Orthodox Church, one of the oldest Christian communities, in Egypt and elsewhere.
The church had condemned Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza in recent months.
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