THE parish priest of Church of the Divine Mercy in Shah Alam Rev Fr. George Harrison shared a heartwarming story about His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, during the 3pm feast day service yesterday.
Relating an incident from 2012, Fr. George said he was instructed to visit three Mexicans - Simon, Luis Alfonso and Jose Regino Gonzalez Villareal who were arrested in a raid on a methamphetamine lab in Johor Bahru in March 2008 and were sentenced to hang in 2012.
They had pleaded innocence, saying they had been hired to clean a building and were unaware there were drugs in it.
"The families of the Mexican brothers were appealing through their diplomats with Malaysian authorities for the death sentence to the commuted.
"From what I know the families were involved in a long process and intense dialogue with the Malaysian authorities.
"The families even wrote to the late Pope Francis for his assistance and the Pope also reached out to Sultan Ibrahim at the time.
"About a month later, we learnt and also read reports that Sultan Ibrahim had commuted the death sentence of the Mexican brothers to life imprisonment," he said.
According to reports, they were pardoned in September 2018 and in May the following year were released and sent home.
They spent a total 11 years in Malaysian prisons.
"When I visited them in prison, I was allowed to give them a rosary and also spent time in prayer with them.
"It was a very tough experience as the men were crying terribly and had not seen their families in years," he said.
Fr. George also shared that in October 2019, Sultan Ibrahim received a message from Pope Francis, thanking him personally for reducing the death sentence of the three Mexican brothers.
The message was conveyed by the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Cardinal Parolin hand-delivered the letter to Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Pasir Pelangi, Johor Baru via the diplomatic representative of the Holy See to Malaysia, Archbishop Joseph Salvador Marino.
“On behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis, I am writing to thank you for your act of clemency and subsequent help in the representation of three Mexicans sentenced to death,” said Cardinal Parolin in the letter that was published on Sultan Ibrahim’s official Facebook page at the time.
“His Holiness prays that this act of compassion will be an encouragement for all people to renew their commitment to building a world marked by forgiveness, peace and a spirit of fraternal solidarity.
“Invoking upon Your Majesty and the members of the Royal Family and abundance of joy and peace. Pope Francis reiterates his profound gratitude,” the letter read.
"We were so relieved to learn that Sultan Ibrahim, our current King had agreed to commute their sentence ... What a great and kind man ... We are so proud to have him as our King today," Fr George said to loud claps and cheers from the congregation. – April 27, 2025
