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Prayers and sympathy for Muslim community

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The Catholic communities of South Australia have extended their "heartfelt sympathy" to their Muslim brothers and sisters following the tragic shootings in Christchurch last week.

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In a pastoral letter sent yesterday, Apostolic Administrator of the Adelaide Archdiocese and Bishop of the Diocese of Port Pirie, Bishop Greg O’Kelly SJ wrote of the “distress and horror” following the murder of the 50 Muslims who were at prayer at their mosques.

“Along with all right thinking and feeling people, the Catholic communities of South Australia wish to express to our Muslim brothers and sisters our own feelings of distress and horror at the murder of the Muslim people in the Christchurch mosques. That such tragedies could be enacted in the midst of a society so similar to our own, and so close to ourselves, or indeed in any society, is alarming and horrifying,” he wrote.

“These victims were at prayer. They had come together in their weekly devotion to bow in adoration before the Author of all life and the Father of us all. May the God of compassion and mercy welcome now His sons and daughters, murdered in His holy place, into the joy of His presence.

“May the love of God ease the pain and trauma of the loss of loved ones in that community. We offer our prayers to intercede for them. We express our heartfelt sympathy to our Muslim brothers and sisters, and we are aghast that people of faith are targeted in such a way and with such terrible motives.

“Please accept our heartfelt sympathy, and our expressions of distress that such good people seeking to live a life of peace and justice suffered such an atrocity at evil hands.

“May God grant us all the grace of healing.”

 

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