Irish bishop expresses shock at murder of young father

Bishop Séamus Hegarty

News of the brutal murder of a 31 year old man has sent shock waves across Norther Ireland today.

Members of the Real IRA have being blamed for the terrorist-style execution of Ciaran Doherty, 31, whose body was found by a passer-by on farmland outside Londonderry. He had been shot in the head at close range. His corpse was stripped and his hands were tied.

Local priest Father Stephen McLaughlin, who visited the scene, said: "It's quite hard to take in. The feeling you have is one of utter revulsion. It is sickening. We thought certainly that these sorts of things were not going to be part of our future."

Bishop Séamus Hegarty said in a statement: "I was shocked and saddened to learn of the brutal killing of Ciaran Doherty whose body was found late last night in Derry.
 
"My prayers and thoughts are with Ciaran's family and friends at the huge loss they are suffering.
 
"The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred from the moment of conception to the natural end of life. This killing flies in the face of the teaching of Christ and is a profound rejection of all that is Christian.
 
"Irrespective of excuses proposed by those who take human life, the killing of a person is always wrong. Our society has a tragic history of violence. Due to this history, we, more than many other societies, should appreciate that any attempt to drag us back to a bloody past is wrong.
 
"A peaceful society depends upon normal policing and justice. We have taken great strides in that direction. It is the duty of anyone with information relating to this brutal killing to pass it to the PSNI.
 
"Our society will only be safe when processes of law and order are permitted to take their course.

Source: Irish Catholic Media Office/ICN