26.07.2016
Archbishop of Dublin Offers Thoughts and Prayers Following Attack on French Church
Archbishop Michael Jackson has offered prayers for the people of France in the wake of the murder of a Catholic priest while saying Mass in Normandy this morning (Tuesday July 26):
“Once again today our thoughts and our prayers turn to France where another act of terror has shaken the nation and the world beyond.
An atrocity which has seen a priest murdered while saying Mass and hostages taken in the church in the small town of Saint–Étienne du Rouvray in the suburbs of Rouen in Normandy has brought the violence and hatred to a place of worship, to a Christian church.
Our prayers again are for the President and people of France and those affected by this latest attack as they seek a way forward which respects the ideals of French society along with freedom for all to worship in safety.
We also pray for all those in authority who seek to find a way to stem the terror and for those, at every level, who deal with the human sadness and the societal aftermath of these attacks.
We pray at this time for an end to all violence but also for the nurturing of the seeds of love among all of God’s people, no matter what their faith and beliefs. We must continue to reach out to our brothers and sisters of all World Faiths to work in solidarity against the spread of fear and terror. Inter Faith understanding and respect are now as urgent as ever they were, and in fact increasingly more urgent.”
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Archbishop Jackson is Chairperson of NIFCON. the Network for Inter Faith Concerns of the Anglican Communion, and a member of Dublin City Inter Faith Forum.