” “”A tragic murder where the victim is a very young boy, killed just because he was a Catholic. It’s an event that shocked our community”, this is how father John Mc Mannus, spokesman of the Catholic Church of the diocese of Down and Connor, comments the death of Michael McIlvben, a fifteen year old boy from Ballymena (County Antrim) who was beaten to death with baseball bats by a group of Protestants. “Our prayers and our minds are with his family, bereaved of the life of this son of theirs, who was still of tender age, just out of his childhood”. “I am not a politician says the priest this murder reminds us how tragic the loss of a human life is, the most sacred gift we have. This boy was killed just because he was a Catholic. The peace process is moving very slowly, but we must believe that the old days of violence belong to the past. We have to find reasons for hoping, for looking to the future even in these tragic circumstances and remain united. We must forsake the political violence of the past and concentrate, all together, on the dignity of human life, every human life”. “This after-Easter time is full of hope and light”, adds father Mc Mannus, “we hope we will see daylight in the darkness generated by the death of this very young boy, at this time of ordeal for Michael’s family and for all of our community “. ” “
