Rome Newsroom, Feb 28, 2024 / 12:01 pm
Pope Francis this week called for prayers for and expressed his closeness to the victims of twin terrorist attacks on Catholic and Muslim communities in the West African country of Burkina Faso.
“We pray for the victims of the recent attacks on places of worship in Burkina Faso,” a papal aide read on behalf of the Holy Father during his Wednesday general audience.
The pope’s comments come after an official telegram signed by the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was sent to Bishop Laurent Dabiré, president of the Episcopal Conference of Burkina Faso and of Niger, on Monday. That message expressed pain on the pontiff’s behalf for the families of those murdered.
The Monday telegram denounced the killings and reiterated the pope’s appeal for peace, noting that “hatred is not the solution to conflicts.” The pope further expressed his hope that sacred spaces — which have been frequently targeted in the country — be respected, a call which is underscored by a broader “fight against violence in order to promote the values of peace.”