Why did they kill them? Scenario 1: The bombing of the Federal Intelligence Department The massacre at St. Patrick's could have a direct connection with another tragic incident 48 hours earlier. On Friday, July 2, 1976, (barely 3 months after the Armed Forces had taken control of the country), a powerful bomb had exploded in the dining room of the Federal Intelligence Department of Buenos Aires. The revolutionary group "Montoneros" had planted it, killing 18 and injuring 66 people.   The person who planted the bomb was a policeman who was a member of  Montoneros and had complete knowledge of the Federal Intelligence Department's layout. Admiral Emilio Massera, the Navy's Commander in Chief and one of the members of the ruling Junta -- organized a rampage of revenge through death squads formed by his subordinates. The Chief of Police, General Arturo Corbetta, tried to enforce the use of legal procedures to prosecute the revolutionaries. The next day, 15 unarmed, defenseless people were found executed in several areas of the city. Among them were the five Pallottines. This "vendetta" between repressive forces worked. General Corbetta's position became untenable and he was replaced by hard-liner General Edmundo Ojeda after only 11 days in power. According to Peace Nobel Prize-winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel, the massacre of the Pallottine priests was a thoroughly planned, well-coordinated operation. They targeted them to admonish the Catholic Church and to frighten the increasingly rebellious intellectual middle-class. By killing 5 priests, they dispersed several hundred dissidents, collecting some of the first of 30,000 victims of the military regime that ruled the country from 1976 to 1983. Scenario 2:  Emilio Barletti was a Montonero Emilio Barletti was connected to the Montoneros, the armed revolutionary group that was fighting underground against the Armed Forces.  Aware that his affiliation to the Montoneros was extremely dangerous to everyone at St. Patrick's, he had decided to leave the Palotine community by mid-July to support the revolutionary group.  The Pallottine Community did not allow their students to exercise political activities while in training to become priests.  Emilio had participated in rallies, distributed pamphlets, and facilitated meetings for some of the leaders of the revolutionary organization.  None of this was known by his peers at St. Patrick's.  He belonged to the Southern Column of the Montoneros, and his superior was a former priest turned revolutionary -- Elbio Alverione.  Because of his strategical value, Emilio was assigned to propaganda activities.  He was a "miliciano," not a warrior.  He was not allowed to carry guns, and his function was considered marginal -- although he could have been promoted to a higher position as a strategist because of his capacity. Gabriel Seisdedos investigated in-depth the possibility of a link between the massacre and Emilio's militancy in Montoneros.  Alverione himself guided Seisdedos' investigation and clarified that Barletti had not been assigned to any military operation.   In meetings with other high-ranking officers of Montoneros (today mostly businessmen, executives and politicians), Seisdedos confirmed that no other member of St. Patrick's community had ever been involved with Montoneros or had knowledge of Emilio's role.  In his book, "El Honor de Dios" and the television documentary of the same name, Seisdedos affirms that his investigation has clarified that the massacre did not occur because of Emilio Barletti's participation in Montoneros. Scenario 3:  The neighbors Several of the neighbors living within 200 meters of St. Patricks' -- and even within the same block -- were high-ranking officers of the Armed Forces.  Since the systematic elimination plan was well under way since March of 1976, these officers had orders to report any suspicious activity to their superiors.  In addition to this, a neighbor had close ties with an exteme right-wing organization that called itself "Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance."  He's presumed to have solicited signatures to expel Father Alfie Kelly from St. Patrick's because of his sermons.  On several ocasions, Father Kelly had been approached by military personel and neighbors who asked him to "tone down" his sermons -- especially when he talked about poverty, injustice, and the disappeared. A select group of Police Commissaries with clear fascist orientation had regular meetings not very far from St. Patrick's.  They called themselves "The Group of Happy Faces."  These individuals had access to intelligence files and operated pretty much on their own, although they responded to General Suarez Mason -- who controlled all operatives in Buenos Aires. Some of the ladies who collaborated with St. Patrick's charitable activities were married to military personnel, executives in multinational corporations, and politicians.   Over the years prior to the massacre, they felt out of place because of the influx of young people and the shift in charitable activities proposed by young students like Barbeito and Barletti.  While this was taking place, the Pallottines' elementary school was losing money.  This school was founded to supply education to the maid's children whose mothers worked at of the above mentioned ladies' homes.  Although the Pallottines' had already founded a school only 100 meters away, this institution was designed to host middle and upper-middle class students only.  As resistance against Father Kelly's sermons and evangelical orientation mounted among the ladies and their husbands, they threatened to "pull-the-plug" financially on the elementary school, unless changes were made.  Money became their initial weapon, their tongues became the finger that pulled the trigger.  Some people in this group of disenchanted individuals signed the petition to remove Father Kelly, spearheaded by the neighbor with extreme right-wing connections. Scenario 4:  Father Kelly's Sermons According to Father Kevin O'Neill, Alfie Kelly suffered a transformation after Easter of 1976.  He gave a speech for a group of parents, doctors, and close friends, and everyone felt he was "inspired," as guided by a superior force.  That day, he told the group that "truth reveals itself like a flash."  His sermons changed from that time onwards.  Alfie had told Rolando Savino -- the youngster that would discover the dead bodies of the five martyrs -- that "this Easter had been his last one." Shortly afterwards, he learned of the dissapeareances, the kidnappings, the torture and killings at the concentration camps run by the Armed Forces.  Fully aware that among his parishoners there were people who could influence the dictatorship, he reminded them of his obligations as Catholics.   Some of his sermons were hair-raising, frontal descriptions of how the community was not fulfilling its role as representatives of Christ.  Those who remember those sermons, recall the dead silence during the long-winded homilies, the discomfort of the majority, and the disgust of many who felt he was talking about them. Alfie Kelly's diary reveals that he was aware of what could happen to him if rumors and libel continued spreading among parishoners.  He knew the name of the neighbor who was doing everything possible to eliminate him.  Their phone lines were connected to the police station.  They received phone threats regularly.  Several neighbors had come to warn them that "something was going on."  He had talked to a priest and a nun who were close friends, and told them "he knew he was going to die."  During the last two days, Alfie also confided extensively in Father Leaden, who shared his spiritual ordeal. Dickie Kelly -- Alfie's brother -- has no doubt whatsoever that the five were killed "because of my brother."

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