“An offense to God and humanity "
is how Benedict XVI described the" serious attack against the Coptic
Christian community in Alexandria and bombs against the homes of
Christians in Iraq”.
Today, at the end of the Angelus, the pope said he had "learned
with sorrow news" of the murder of 21 Coptic faithful and injuring of
70 others.
The attack took place around midnight of December 31 when a
car bomb [a suicide bomber according to the interior ministry] exploded in front of the church of All Saints in the Egyptian city, slaughtering faithful who were leaving the church after mass.
"This cowardly act of death, - continued the Pope – like that
of planting bombs close to the homes of Christians in Iraq to force them
to leave, offends God and all humanity, who only yesterday prayed for
peace and began the New Year with hope. "
The Pope speaks of a real "strategy of violence that has
targeted Christians."
In fact in Iraq, after the massacre in the Syrian
Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad, groups linked to
al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack and declared that
Christians in the Middle East are a "legitimate target" because "they
pollute " the Arab world.
Since then, armed groups have killed
Christians, by breaking into their homes or, as happened last December
30, by putting bombs in front of their homes.
This strategy, says Benedict XVI "has consequences for the
whole population." In fact, the violence against Christians takes place
in a climate of total insecurity and barbarism of coexistence.
"I pray for the victims and family members - said the pontiff -
and encourage church communities to persevere in faith and witness to
non-violence that comes from the Gospel."
He also recalled the list of
23 pastoral workers killed in 2010 in various parts of the world (mostly
in Latin America), compiled by the agency Fides.
"Also to them - he
added - goes our loving remembrance before the Lord. We remain united in
Christ, our hope and our peace!. "
Previously, Benedict XVI recalled once again the mystery of
Christmas, as told in today's Gospel, the prologue of St. John and
thanked "those who have sent me messages of spiritual closeness."
Speaking in Spanish, Benedict XVI sent a message to the Spanish
Church, gathered in the Plaza de Colon in Madrid to celebrate the value
of marriage, in a meeting with the theme "The Christian family hope for
Europe."
SIC: AN/INT'L