A priest, Father Oscar Juárez, was found dead on Wednesday, July 15: he was handcuffed in the church of San Martín de Porres, in the capital of the province of Tucumán. Police are investigating for murder. The press release sent to Fides by the archdiocese of Tucumán reports: «in dialogue with the judicial authority, we have been informed that he was killed and the reason could be because of theft. We believe that this painful loss is part of the numerous insecurity facts we are experiencing in Tucuman. Our pilgrim church in Tucumán suffers the same anguish». «We ask justice to find those responsible for this terrible act – continues the statement -. We also ask the authorities to strengthen security».
Fr. Oscar Juárez, a priest of the secular clergy, was born on February 6, 1953, in San Miguel de Tucumán.
He entered the Major Seminary on March 7, 1972. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Blas Victorio Conrero on March 17, 1979, in the Cathedral church. Sent to study in Rome, he graduated in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1983. Upon his return, he was appointed Professor at the Archdiocesan «Our Lady of Mercy and St. Joseph» major Seminary and at the «Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo» Higher Institute of Religious Culture.
For a short period, between 1992 and 1993, he was judge of the interdiocesan ecclesiastical court of Tucumán. He was appointed Cooperating Vicar of the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on April 9, 1979; Parochial Administrator of the Parish of Our Lady of the Rosary in Burruyacú, February 3, 1985; Parish priest of the Holy Family parish of the Alderetes on March 25, 1992; Parish priest of San Martín de Porres Parish since 7 March 2004.
Fr. Oscar Juárez was found by a cleaner inside the church. According to initial reports, the man reported to the police that the priest had been handcuffed and injured. Further investigations are underway to find out the dynamics and causes of his death.
