García was pastor of St. Mark Parish in the town of Capacho in the Huandacareo district, a region in the Archdiocese of Morelia.

“We urgently call on the competent authorities to carry out an exhaustive and transparent investigation that leads to the identification and punishment of those responsible. We cannot allow this and other similar acts to go unpunished,” the bishops stated.

According to the Multimedia Catholic Center, this is the ninth priest murdered during the six-year term of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which began in December 2018.

Almost a year ago, on June 21, 2022, two Jesuit priests were murdered inside a Catholic church in the town of Cerocahui in the Sierra Tarahumara area of the state of Chihuahua.

In March of this year, José Noriel Portillo, accused of being the gunman who killed the Jesuits, was found dead by authorities.

For the CEM, “it is essential that the rule of law be restored and the safety of all citizens be guaranteed, especially those who dedicate their lives to the service of others.”