Press Release

Cardinal Marx on the attack on the parish church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray

Statement of COMECE President Cardinal Reinhard Marx on the attack in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France (26 July 2016):

“The assassination in the French Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray is shocking. The faithful who had gathered for worship in a church became victims of a terrible act of violence. The intention of this act was to stir up hatred between religions. We will resist and will not let ourselves be led into an atmosphere of hatred and violence. The answer can not be an intensification of hatred and conflict. We only can try to bring perpetrators to justice and to do everything possible to avoid more violence.

In this hour we express our closeness with our French sisters and brothers. I invite all to pray for the murdered priest, for the severely injured religious sister and for the other victims of the hostage-taking. Our prayer also goes to the perpetrators. ”