(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed his condolences to victims of an attack by suspected Islamic militants in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.In a telegram addressed to the ecclesiastical and civil authorities, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Pope Francis “expresses heartfelt condolences and condemns such barbarous acts as offences against God and humanity.”Here is the full text of the telegram:“Deeply saddened by the senseless violence perpetrated against innocent victims in Dhaka, His Holiness Pope Francis expresses heartfelt condolences and condemns such barbarous acts as offences against God and humanity. In commending the dead to God’s mercy, His Holiness gives the assurance of his prayers for the grieving families and the wounded.”Islamist militants killed 20 people, most of them foreigners, inside a restaurant in Bangladesh's capital, before security forces stormed the building and ended a 12-hour stando...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has expressed his condolences to victims of an attack by suspected Islamic militants in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.
In a telegram addressed to the ecclesiastical and civil authorities, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Pope Francis “expresses heartfelt condolences and condemns such barbarous acts as offences against God and humanity.”
Here is the full text of the telegram:
“Deeply saddened by the senseless violence perpetrated against innocent victims in Dhaka, His Holiness Pope Francis expresses heartfelt condolences and condemns such barbarous acts as offences against God and humanity. In commending the dead to God’s mercy, His Holiness gives the assurance of his prayers for the grieving families and the wounded.”
Islamist militants killed 20 people, most of them foreigners, inside a restaurant in Bangladesh's capital, before security forces stormed the building and ended a 12-hour standoff on Saturday.
Islamic State said it was responsible for one of the most brazen attacks in the South Asian nation's history, but that claim has yet to be confirmed.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed the Angelus this Sunday with pilgrims and tourists gathered in a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square. He used his words to the crowd ahead of the traditional noonday prayer of Marian devotion to reflect on the different ways in which Christians of every age, state, and calling in the Church can respond to the common baptismal vocation to be missionaries – Ambassadors of Christ in daily life, to people near and far.Click below to hear our report “What is the spirit with which the disciple of Jesus will carry out this mission?” Pope Francis asked. “First of all: the Christian must be aware of the difficult and sometimes hostile reality that awaits him; Jesus minces no words on that; in fact, Jesus says, ‘I am sending you like lambs among wolves’.”“Hostility,” continued the Holy Father, “is always at the beginning of the persecution of Christians, because Jesus knows that the mission is ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed the Angelus this Sunday with pilgrims and tourists gathered in a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square. He used his words to the crowd ahead of the traditional noonday prayer of Marian devotion to reflect on the different ways in which Christians of every age, state, and calling in the Church can respond to the common baptismal vocation to be missionaries – Ambassadors of Christ in daily life, to people near and far.
Click below to hear our report
“What is the spirit with which the disciple of Jesus will carry out this mission?” Pope Francis asked. “First of all: the Christian must be aware of the difficult and sometimes hostile reality that awaits him; Jesus minces no words on that; in fact, Jesus says, ‘I am sending you like lambs among wolves’.”
“Hostility,” continued the Holy Father, “is always at the beginning of the persecution of Christians, because Jesus knows that the mission is opposed by the work of the Evil One. Thus the worker of the Gospel will strive to be free from human influences of every kind: carrying neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes – as recommended by Jesus – relying solely on the power of the Cross of Christ.”
Pope Francis went on to say, “This means giving up all personal reason to boast, putting off every temptation careerism or hunger for power: it means being humble instruments of the salvation worked by Jesus’ own sacrifice.”
“When we do this,” said Pope Francis, departing from his prepared remarks, “[our] heart is filled with joy.”
“This expression makes me think about how much the Church rejoices,” he continued, “rejoices when her children receive the Good News by way of the dedication of so many men and women who daily proclaim the Gospel: priests – those good pastors that we all know – nuns, consecrated persons, missionary men and women – and I wonder – [how many of you] hear the invitation – how many of you young people who now are present in the square today, hear and heed the Lord’s call to follow him?”
“Be not afraid!” he said. “Be brave and bring to others this torch of apostolic zeal that has been left by [so many] exemplary disciples.”
Vatican City, Jul 3, 2016 / 04:38 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday, Pope Francis remembered the victims of attacks in Iraq and Bangladesh over the weekend, and prayed for the conversion of persons “blinded by hate” who commit such acts of violence.“I express my closeness to the families of the victims and the wounded in yesterday's attack in Dhaka, and also of that which took place in Baghdad,” the Pope said during his weekly post-Angelus in St. Peter's Square.“Let us pray together for them, for the departed, and let us ask the Lord to convert the hearts of the violent, blinded by hate.” The pontiff then led the crowds in the Hail Mary.Around 80 people have been killed and more than a hundred wounded after a pair of bombs detonated in Baghdad late Saturday, the BBC reports. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.According to the BBC, the first car bomb struck the Iraqi capital's Kerrada shopping and restaurant...
Vatican City, Jul 3, 2016 / 04:38 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday, Pope Francis remembered the victims of attacks in Iraq and Bangladesh over the weekend, and prayed for the conversion of persons “blinded by hate” who commit such acts of violence.
“I express my closeness to the families of the victims and the wounded in yesterday's attack in Dhaka, and also of that which took place in Baghdad,” the Pope said during his weekly post-Angelus in St. Peter's Square.
“Let us pray together for them, for the departed, and let us ask the Lord to convert the hearts of the violent, blinded by hate.” The pontiff then led the crowds in the Hail Mary.
Around 80 people have been killed and more than a hundred wounded after a pair of bombs detonated in Baghdad late Saturday, the BBC reports. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
According to the BBC, the first car bomb struck the Iraqi capital's Kerrada shopping and restaurant district, then a second bomb struck at around midnight in a Shia Muslim area north of the city.
Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, twenty-eight people died – including six gunmen and two police officers – during a hostage scenario in the Hotel Artisan Bakery café in Dhaka. Most of the twenty hostages killed in the attack were foreigners from Italy, Japan, one from India, and one from the US, the BBC reports.
Although the attack was staged by Islamic militants, authorities say the gunmen have no ties to the Islamic State, the BBC says.
Pope Francis sent a telegram on Saturday following the attack in the Bangladesh capital, in which he condemned “such barbarous acts as offenses against God and humanity.”
Before leading the crowds in the Angelus prayer, the Pope delivered his reflections on the day's Gospel, during which he spoke about the role of missionaries.
“Missionaries always announce a message of salvation to everyone,” the pontiff said. This is true not only of missionaries who travel to far away places, he added, but for all Christian missionaries.
This announcement says that the “Kingdom of God is at hand,” he continued, because Jesus has brought God closer to us. “God is made one of us; in Jesus, God reigns in our midst, his merciful love defeats sin and human misery.”
The Pope referred to the Gospel reading in which Jesus speaks of sending out “laborers” to retrieve the harvest.
“All of this signifies that the Kingdom of God is built day by day, and already offers its fruits of conversion, of purification, of love, and of consolation among men on this earth.”
“It is a beautiful thing” to build the Kingdom of God day by day, the Pope said. “Not to destroy; to build!”
Francis said the disciple of Jesus who undertakes this mission should be prepared to face difficulties and hostilities.
“Hostility is always at the beginning of the persecution of Christians,” he said, “because Jesus knows that the mission is an obstacle against the work of evil.”
It is for this reason that the disciples in the Gospel are sent out without money bag, sack, or sandals, in order that they might “rely only on the power of the Cross.”
“This means abandoning every reason for personal pride, careerism, or hunger for power,” the pontiff said, so that they may be “humble instruments of salvation operated by Jesus' sacrifice.”
To be a Christian in the world “is a wonderful mission,” Francis said, one which serves everyone without exclusion.
The Pope reflected on the need for Christians to carry out this mission joyfully.
“There is a great need for Christians to witness the Gospel with joy in their everyday life,” he said.
Referring to the line in the Gospel that the disciples “returned rejoicing” from their mission, he said: “This expression makes me think of how often the Church rejoices, is made happy when her children receive the Good News thanks to the dedication of many men and women who announce the Gospel daily,” be they priests, sisters, consecrated persons, or missionaries.
Francis concluded by issuing a challenge to the young people in the square to listen to God's word, and follow it. “Do not be afraid! Be courageous, and carry this torch of apostolic zeal which has been given to us by these exemplary disciples.”
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DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- Security officials searched on Sunday for evidence and the possible masterminds of the weekend hostage-taking in an upscale restaurant in Bangladesh's capital. The government has denied the Islamic State group's claim of responsibility for the attack that left 28 dead, including six attackers and 20 of the hostages....
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed for the victims of the terror attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh that occured in the night between Friday and Saturday, and for the victims of terror attacks in Baghdad that took place late in the day on Saturday.The Dhaka attack on a popular restaurant in the diplomatic district of the capital claimed at least 20 lives – many of them foreigners – while the attack in Baghdad’s central – and very commercial – Karrada district claimed at least 83 lives, while a second attack on a predominantly Shia neighborhood of the capital around midnight killed five more people.“I offer my closeness to the families of all the people killed and wounded in the attack that took place [early Saturday morning] in Dhaka, and in that, which took place [Saturday] in Baghdad,” said Pope Francis. “Let us pray together,” the Holy Father continued, “let us pray together for them – for all the dead – and let ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed for the victims of the terror attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh that occured in the night between Friday and Saturday, and for the victims of terror attacks in Baghdad that took place late in the day on Saturday.
The Dhaka attack on a popular restaurant in the diplomatic district of the capital claimed at least 20 lives – many of them foreigners – while the attack in Baghdad’s central – and very commercial – Karrada district claimed at least 83 lives, while a second attack on a predominantly Shia neighborhood of the capital around midnight killed five more people.
“I offer my closeness to the families of all the people killed and wounded in the attack that took place [early Saturday morning] in Dhaka, and in that, which took place [Saturday] in Baghdad,” said Pope Francis. “Let us pray together,” the Holy Father continued, “let us pray together for them – for all the dead – and let us ask the Lord to convert the hearts of all those blinded by hatred.”
Pope Francis was addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer. Immediately following his remarks, he led everyone present in reciting the Hail Mary.
