” “"The campaign against death penalty cannot and must not have a religious character", it was stated to the agency Fides by mgr. Vincentius Sensi, bishop of Maumere, a diocese on the isle of Flores, the birthplace of Domingus Da Silva, one of the three Catholics sentenced to death and executed at dawn on September 22nd in Palu. His body has been given back by the government authorities to the local community, which celebrated the funeral service in a cathedral crammed with devotees. "We are very sad at the way the affair of the three Indonesian Catholics has ended stated the bishop In the past few months, we have done all we could to convince the government to change its mind. It was a battle against death penalty, and a campaign not just for the three Catholics but for human life: and we will continue it in the future along with our Muslims brothers". According to the bishop, "the government seemed weak in this case and it seems to have given in to the fundamentalists’ pressures. In the abolitionist campaign carried on in my diocese and across Indonesia, we have involved Muslims, and all the religious leaders have campaigned with us". Last night in Rome, a torch-light procession has been held in front of the Indonesian embassy to protest against the killing of the three Catholics.” “
