Spanish archbishop recounts encounter with gunmen during Mexico visit

The archbishop of Oviedo in Spain, Jesús Sanz, was momentarily held at gunpoint but was allowed to proceed unharmed by hooded men with machine guns in Mexico during a recent trip to support the establishment of a new mission in the Diocese of Tlapa in the state of Guerrero.

Sanz visited the area to promote a new mission headed by two priests and a deacon belonging to the Lumen Dei (Light of God) Association.

In an interview released by the archdiocese, the prelate noted that "it’s perhaps one of the most violent areas in Mexico," with two aspects: one "very basic, very primal" as in personal vendettas and the other related to drug trafficking.

"A priest and I were going to celebrate Holy Mass in a small community on a Sunday. Then, on one of the curves [in the road], three hooded men with machine guns appeared. They stopped our vehicle and asked us who we were and where we were going. When we told them we were missionary priests, they said, 'Don't worry, go on ahead,' and that was that," the archbishop recounted.

Continued below.