Priest slain in Colombia

Bogota, May 3 (IANS/EFE) The Rev. Jesus Maria Parra, a priest of Colombia's Orthodox Catholic denomination, was fatally shot at a downtown Bogota hotel he owned, police said Wednesday.

Two suspects were arrested shortly after the killing at the Santamaria de Jesus Hotel in the poor neighbourhood of Santa Fe, police Maj. Eduardo Tovar told radio stations.

The 56-year-old Parra had a reputation as a faith healer.

Tovar said police had no information on a motive for the murder, but media outlets reported the priest received threats from people unhappy over their eviction from another Bogota property owned by Parra.

Roughly 100 Catholic priests, bishops, monks, nuns and seminary students have been slain in Colombia since 1984, according to figures from the Colombian bishops conference.

--IANS/EFE

rd