Director of the Holy See Press Office Fr. Lombardi said Pope Francis “has been informed” about the attack in which a priest was slain and that the Pope is praying “for the victims”
“It is another terrible piece of news, which unfortunately adds to the series of violent attacks that have already shocked us”. The incident has caused “immense pain and concern,” the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi said in the Vatican’s first statement on the attack which took place in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvrau, near Rouen, France. A priest was slain in his church and some people who were present at the time were wounded (one of them seriously).
“We are following the situation and await further information to get a better understanding of what has happened,” he assured. “The Pope has been informed and shares in the pain and horror caused by this absurd violence, expressing his firm condemnation of every form of hatred and praying for the victims.”
The Holy See spokesman added: “We are particularly shocked because this horrible violence took place in a Church, in which God’s love is announced, with the barbarous killing of a priest and the involvement of the faithful”.
The Vatican is close “to the Church in France, to the Archdiocese of Rouen, to the local community and to the French people”.
Meanwhile, French bishops in Krakow – where the World Youth Day is being held, with the Pope die to arrive tomorrow – are holding an emergency meeting in light of the terrorism tragedy. This was reported by French media in Krakow, which revealed that most bishops are now in Poland. French daily, Liberation, wrote that the Bishop of Rouen, Mgr. Dominique Lebrun, is apparently returning to his diocese in France.
In a statement sent from Krakow following today’s attack in the northern French region of Normandy, Lebrun said: “I weep before God along with all people of goodwill and I invite all non-believers to join me in mourning (the victims). The Catholic Church has no other weapons to use but prayer and fraternity among men”. “I leave behind me hundreds of young people who are the future of humanity,” he said referring to those in Krakow. “I ask them not to succumb to violence and t become apostles of the civilisation of love.”
