Mourners asked to wear black at Fr. Nilo’s burial to show opposition to killings

Those attending the burial of Father Richmond Nilo on Friday, June 15, were urged to wear black.

The Diocese of Cabanatuan said this is to show not only their solidarity in mourning the death of the priest but also to signify their opposition to the killings that has been happening in the country.

"We take the occasion of Fr. Richmond's funeral as a moment for all our Catholic faithful to storm the heavens with prayers for his soul, for the swift and just resolution of the case, and for peace and end of all forms of killing in our society," Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud said in a Memorandum Circular dated June 13.

Nilo, who was shot dead last Sunday just as he was about to celebrate Mass in the chapel of Brgy. Mayamot in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, will be interred at the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Cathedral Crypt after the 10 a.m. funeral mass.

In his circular addressed to priests, religious and faithful, the Cabanatuan prelate said the death of Nilo is not just a loss to his priests but also a "great loss" to the Catholic faithful in the diocese.

"We grieve because we lost a brother, shepherd, father, and friend to a murderer's bullet. As one community in prayer and solidarity, we gather together and cry out to the Lord that justice may be served, and that peace may rule in our land," said Bancud.

"We also pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that our hearts may be set on fire as we bear our mission to fearlessly proclaim the Gospel and become authentic witnesses of Christ," he added.

Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) appealed to President Duterte to order the police to intensify their operations so that the culprits in the killings would be brought to justice.

CBCP - Public Affairs Committee Executive Secretary Fr Jerome Secillano said the President should also tell the public that we need to respect life.

“That is very significant for the President to say that, especially now in the midst of killings. Maybe that is the message that we need to listen to,” he said in a television interview.

The appeal comes after three priests were killed in six months; the latest is Fr. Nilo.