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The death of a Los Angeles bishop consecrated by Pope Francis is being investigated as a homicide

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David O’Connellanointed like Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles of Pope Francis, who died in gun shots in the Hacienda Heights town of that city on the shores of the Pacific. Police investigate the case as a homicide.

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The Municipal Police Department has received a lemergency call around 1pm local time on Saturday. When officers arrived they found O’Connell’s body with no signs of life.

The religious, 69 years old, was in the room of a house where he lived alone. I had one gunshot wound to the torso which was still bleeding. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Although his death was initially investigated as “suspicious”, the case was later included in a homocideconfirmed the archbishopric.

Devout Catholics paid tribute to Bishop David O'Connell, who was shot to death in Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles.  AP Photo

Devout Catholics paid tribute to Bishop David O’Connell, who was shot to death in Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles. AP Photo

“We are deeply shocked and saddened for this news,” Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gómez said in that statement. “His legacy will live on,” the LAPD said on Twitter.

researchers they found no signs of forced entry to the apartment, where O’Connell was found on the bedindicated Los Angeles Times.

The same newspaper underlined this a man was arrested in a house in Torrance, where he was holed up. He would be related to a woman who was related to religious, the detailed median one.

David O'Connell, at an anti-abortion rally.  Facebook photo

David O’Connell, at an anti-abortion rally. Facebook photo

Who was David O’Connell, the bishop consecrated by Pope Francis

o’connell was born in Cork, Irelandin 1953. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015. He had been stationed in that archdiocese since 1979, when he was ordained a priest. There he was president of an interdiocesan task force in charge of coordinating the the help of the Church to the children and families of Central America.

His appointment as auxiliary bishop followed the age-related resignation of Monsignor Gerald E. Wilkerson. Along with O’Connell, two other religious were anointed: Joseph V. Brennan and Robert E. Barron.

Los Angeles is shocked by the murder of a bishop of the city.  AP Photo

Los Angeles is shocked by the murder of a bishop of the city. AP Photo

He was known as “The Peacemaker”, according to the Catholic Information Agency. During his ecclesiastical career he has served as parish vicar, pastor, dean of Deanery 16 and member of the presbyteral council of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

In 2015, at the time of his election, he was parish priest of Saint Michael, in that city in the southwestern United States, where he participated in demonstrations against the right to abortion. He also spoke out against a law on assisted suicide took effect in the state of California in June 2016.

“It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness,” said Archbishop Gomez, describing O’Connell as “a good friend”.

“Bishop Dave was a man of deep prayer that he had a great love for the Madonna,” he said. “He was a a man of peace with a heart for the poor and immigrantsand was passionate about building a community in which the sanctity and dignity of every human life would be honored and protected.”

Meanwhile the devotees paid homage to him with posters: “Eternal rest with Him, the Lord, and let the perpetual light pass through it. Rest in peace”.

Source: Clarin

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