A small, letter bomb addressed to a priest at the Highland School in Alcobendas (Madrid) exploded whilst being handled in the main Madrid sorting office.

According to a Police Spokesman, the incident occurred at 09.15h in the office on the Camino de las Hormigueras. The bomb exploded when it was being handled by a female member of staff..

The letter was 30 x 20cm and inside was a small 12v battery. The envelope was addressed to Father José G.S. at the centre of the Legionarios de Cristo. According to the police, the letter had a return address, Arzobispado in the Calle Bailén, No8, yet the letter was posted in the Sant Cugat del Vallés area of Barcelona.

The staff member received slight injuries and the Spanish bomb-disposal team TEDAX later examined the remains and found traces of gunpowder.

The Legionarios de Cristo were founded in México in 1941 by Father Marcial Maciel (1920-2008), who was condemned by Pope Benedicto XVI for repeated sexual abuse, over a period of decades, against semanarians (trainee priests)

(News: Alcobendas, Madrid)