Pakistan: Catholic Church condemns school massacre in Peshawar

Cardinal Oswald Gracias

The Catholic Church has condemned the attack on a school in Peshawar that killed at least 132 children and nine staff yesterday.

“This is a barbaric, inhuman and cowardly act,” Cecil Chaudhry, executive director of the National Commission for Justice and Peace of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said. “It is beyond imagination how innocent children of army personnel could be targeted like this.”

"The only path, the only answer to the terrible massacre .. is to rediscover the unity of the country; to rediscover the core of humanity and coexistence that founds the nation; to send a strong message of unity against violence and terrorism, which has to start not only from the government but from the heart of every citizen of Pakistan":said Mr Chaudhry,

Seven Taliban gunmen, carried out the attack at around 10am local time on Tuesday. They went from classroom to classroom at Army Public School, which teaches children from both military and civilian backgrounds, shooting pupils and teachers. All the gunmen where later killed, though it is unclear if they blew themselves up or were killed by Army Commandos.

The church in Indian also condemned the attack. “My soul is overwhelmed by deep sorrow and great distress for the horrible massacre of innocent children in the school in Peshawar,” Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, said. “The loss of young and precious lives in neighbouring Pakistan is a source of grief and mourning also for my country, India.”

Catholic lawyer Mushtaq Gill Sardar, active human rights defender said: "We strongly condemn this atrocity. We Christians in Pakistan feel united with our fellow Muslims, marked by pain, and we join our prayers to theirs. We tell them: we grieve the loss of your loved ones and your children with you. We ask the Pakistani government to take serious steps to eradicate terrorism and religious extremism from Pakistan. It is time to take action against those who openly spread religious hatred, extremism and terrorism in the name of religion".
 
Prayer vigils have been taking place across Pakistan, in a day of national mourning.

At the end of today's general audience, Pope asked for prayers for the victims of the inhuman terrorist acts that have occurred in recent days in Yemen, Australia and Pakistan, saying: “May the Lord receive the souls of the departed in His peace, console their families and convert the hearts of the perpetrators, whose violence does not cease even before children”.

Source: PBC/Fides/BC