Church leaders express condolences and offer prayers for Belgium

Church leaders have issued condolence messages and prayers for the people of Belgium in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Brussels today which have killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds.

Pope Francis sent a telegram to Jozef De Kesel, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels following the attacks on Tuesday morning in the Belgian capital Brussels. In the telegramme signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis prays for the victims, the injured and their families and again condemns "blind violence which causes so much suffering."

An English translation of the message reads:

'Learning of the attacks in Brussels, which have affected many people, His Holiness Pope Francis entrusts to God's mercy those who died and he prays for those who have lost relatives. He expresses his deepest sympathy to the injured and their families, and all those who contribute to relief efforts, asking the Lord to bring them comfort and consolation in this ordeal. The Holy Father again condemns the blind violence which causes so much suffering and imploring from God the gift of peace, he entrusts on the bereaved families and the Belgians the benefit of divine blessings.'

In a Twitter message Pope Francis said: I entrust to God's mercy all those who lost their lives. #Brussels

The President of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), Cardinal Reinhard Marx, issued the following statement:

'The attacks at Brussels Airport and on the Metro in the city have upset me deeply and filled me with sadness. My thoughts and prayers go out at this moment to the dead, the injured and their dear ones. This is Holy Week and it is a time we pray with particularly intensity for victims of violence and for those close to them.

Today's events have touched me profoundly. My European commitments bring me frequently to Brussels and I feel particularly close to the staff of the COMECE Secretariat, based in Brussels, in this current situation.'

In a letter to Jozef De Kesel, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Cardinal Nichols wrote:

'The news of terrorist attacks in Brussels has shocked an dismayed us all. I write to assure you and all in your diocese of the prayers and support of the Catholics in England and Wales.

May God Grant strength and enduring faith to all who are berievd injured and traumatised. May God welcome into his merciful presence all who have died. May God turn the hearts of all why commit evil to a true understanding of his desire and intention for humanity.
May Jesus whose death and resurstion we are celebrating, be the face and presence of the mercy of the father and the light of eternal life for us all.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby said:

'In the great Holy Week of Christian prayer and mercy, the Brussels attacks shock all those who seek peace and justice through the terrible cruelty and utter separation from all that is of God. Once again we see the contrast between the vain efforts to terrify through indiscriminate murder, and the call of God to be those who show mercy, who seek peace and pursue it. Let us at every service this week pray for those caught up in the traumatic events at the airport and in the City of Brussels.'