I can't believe the Vatican Press Office was too busy last Sunday to fail to post the Holy Father's message to the Archbishop of Kampala about the Sunday bombing massacres in Uganda! But the Press Office did fail, and Vatican Radio reports it today, after getting the information from Kampala!... Sure, the message is not earth-shaking 'news' in itself, but how can the Press Office fail to report a ststement made by the Pope on a significant and tragically senseless event?
Pope prays for
Uganda bomb victims
14 July 10 (RV) - Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of victims of last Sunday’s bomb attacks in Kampala Uganda.
A statement released today by the Archbishop of Kampala, Cyprian Kizto Lwanga, reads that the Holy Father was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of lives and that his prayers are with the victims and their families.
74 people were killed in two separate bomb attacks on the capital. The attacks were claimed by a Somali terrorist group with links to Al Qaeda.
On behalf of the Church in Uganda the Archbishop appeals to all aggrieved parties in society to renounce violence as a means of solving conflicts and embrace dialogue. Archbishop Lwanga concludes that these “barbaric acts reveal the evil and ugly nature of the perpetrators who do not value the sanctity of human life”.
Full text of the statement:
In the wake of this tragic loss of innocent lives, I wish, on behalf of the Catholic Church in Uganda, to convey my sincere condolences to all the people of Uganda and most especially to the families of the victims that lost their livesin the deadly explosions at the Ethiopian Village in Kabalagala and Kyadondo Rugby Club in Lugogo on Sunday.
We are all deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence and we strongly condemn the act that indiscriminately killed and injured innocent people . This barbaric act reveals the evil and ugly nature of the perpetrators who do not value the sanctity of human life.
We appeal to all aggrieved parties in our society to renounce violence as means of solving conflicts and whenever there are misunderstandings, let people embrace dialogue in the resolution of conflicts.
As we pray for the victims, we implore God’s gifts of courage and strength for the injured and those who mourn. On Sunday 18th July 2010, in all our Parishes and Sub-Parish Churches, we request the Parish Priests to organize special prayers for the victims of this tragic event.
The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has also received the sad news and is deeply saddened to learn of the loss of lives caused by bombings in Kampala.
The Pope conveys his heartfelt condolences to the civil authorities and to those afflicted by the attacks. He prays for the victims, the injured and the bereaved families.
Cyprian Kizto Lwanga
Archbishop of Kampala
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 14/07/2010 19:38]