Father Philip in Stable Condition
NEW DELHI, India, MAY 16, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Two men shot and injured a priest who is headmaster of a Catholic primary school in a suburb of New Delhi. He remains in the hospital in stable condition.
Two men entered the St. Vincent Palloti Primary School where they sought out Father George Philip and shot him, reported www.AsiaNews.it on Tuesday.
Witnesses said the two young men arrived at the school asking for the headmaster. The priest welcomed them and invited them to take a seat, handing them the admission form.
One of the men then took out a handgun and shot Father Philip three times in the chest.
The 35-year-old priest remains in the hospital where doctors have removed the bullets and report that he is out of danger.
The police said initial investigations suggest a case of attempted robbery. This theory has failed to convince authorities in the Archdiocese of Delhi.
Father Dominic Emmanuel, spokesman of the archdiocese, said: "The police are being very naive to say that the attack was carried out because the men wanted to rob Father Philip of a mobile phone.
"Why would someone who wants to rob a person of his mobile phone carry a gun inside a school? Or fire three shots at the priest?
"Since the attackers carried a pistol, there is reason to be worried about the incident. It is clear that the miscreants had come prepared with the intention of harming him, though the motive for the attack is not clear yet."
Code: ZE07051612
Date: 2007-05-16