One shot dead in armed assault on house of retired Roman Catholic cardinal

A shootout outside the home of a Roman Catholic cardinal in Mexico City left one bodyguard dead on Sunday, city authorities said, but no motive for the armed assault on the residence was provided.

Cardinal Norberto Rivera, 76, the capital's retired archbishop and an influential figure in the church for years, was inside his home at the time of the armed assault but was not harmed.

Gunfire broke out after a man wearing military clothing approached the entrance seeking to deliver a package, according to a statement from the city prosecutor. The man opened fire on a guard at the entrance but was then forced back as other guards returned fire.

The guard, whose name was not released, died as he was being transported to a nearby hospital.

Rivera retired last year, almost two decades after he was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II.

(With inputs from agencies.)