ROME — Pope Francis offered condolences and prayers Tuesday to the victims and families of a lethal bombing by the Islamic State on a Christian church in eastern Congo that took the lives of at least 14 people and injured more than 60.
“His Holiness Pope Francis has learned with sadness of the attack on a Pentecostal church in Kasindi that caused the death of innocent people,” declares the telegram, written by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin at the behest of Pope Francis.
On Monday, the Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for the bombing attack, which took place Sunday at a Pentecostal church in Kasindi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pope Francis is slated to travel to the Congolese capital of Kinshasa on January 31 for a three-day visit, originally scheduled for July, 2022.
The pope “expresses his compassion and closeness to all the families hard hit by this tragedy,” reads the text, which is addressed to the Rev. André Bokundoa-Bo-Likabe, president of the Church of Christ in the Congo (CCC).
“In prayer, the Holy Father entrusts the dead and wounded to God’s mercy,” the telegram concludes. “He implores Christ, the Lord of life, so that the afflicted may find consolation and trust in God, invoking upon them the gift of peace.”
According to eyewitnesses, the jihadists detonated an improvised explosive device inside the church Sunday during a baptism ceremony.
“Several among us died on the spot, others had their feet cut in two,” reported one 42-year-old present at the ceremony. “God saved me and I came out in good health with my choir members. Today was not the day I should die.”
Another survivor of the assault, Jean-Paul Syauswa, said the blast occurred just after a group of the faithful had been baptized, while a blind pastor was commenting on Bible verses.
“The bomb threw me at least 100 meters away,” he said.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.