Archbishop leads prayers at WYD after attack on French church

First Taize prayers at Church of St Szczepan today

In response to the attack this morning on a Catholic Church this morning in Rouen, during Mass, in which the parish priest and his two attackers were killed, and two others injured, Mgr Dominique Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen, writes today:

From Krakow, I have learnt with sadness of the killing this morning at the Church of Saint-Etienne du Rouvray. The three victims: the priest, Father Jacques Hamel, 84, and the authors of the assassination. Three other people were injured, one very seriously. I cry out to God with all men of good will. I would invite non-believers to join in the cry! With the young people at WYD, we pray as we prayed at the tomb of Father Popiulusko in Warsaw, assassinated during the communist regime.

The Vicar General, Father Philippe Maheut, is on location since the beginning. I will be tonight in my diocese with the families and the parish community which is very much in shock. The Catholic Church cannot take weapons other than those of prayer and brotherhood among men. I leave here hundreds of young people who are the future of humanity, the true ones. I ask them not to give in to the violence and become apostles of the civilization of love.

Dominique Lebrun
Archbishop of Rouen
July 26, 2016