“A tragic murder whose victim was a young man, killed just because he was Catholic. It’s an episode that has shocked our community”, said Father John McMannus, spokesman for the Catholic Church of the diocese of Down e Connor, commenting on the tragic death of Michael McIlvben, a fifteen-year old youth from Ballymena (county Antrim) who was beaten to death with baseball bats by a group of Protestants. “Our prayers and our thoughts go to his family, deprived of the life of this son, still of tender age, barely out of childhood”. “I’m not a politician – continued Father McMannus – but this murder reminds us how tragic is the loss of a human life, the most sacred gift we have. This boy was killed only because he was Catholic. The peace process is proceeding very slowly, but we must cling to the belief that the old days of violence are a thing of the past. We must find reasons of hope to look to the future, even in these tragic circumstances, and remain united. We must abandon the political violence of the past and all concentrate together on the dignity of human life”. “This post-Easter period is full of hope and light”, added Fr. Mc Mannus, “let us hope that it may open a glimmer of light in the darkness generated by the death of this boy, in this period of great ordeal for Michael’s family and for all our community”.
