Pope condemns spread of terrorism

BY JOHN THAVIS
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict condemned the wave of terrorist attacks in India as acts of “cruel and senseless violence,” and led prayers for the more than 170 people who died and the hundreds injured.

A Vatican spokesman, meanwhile, warned that if extremists continue to exploit the ethnic and religious tensions of southern Asia the results could be even more tragic.

Speaking at his noon blessing Nov. 30, the pope asked for prayers for the victims of the attacks in Mumbai, the Indian financial capital, where suspected Islamic militants assaulted at least 10 targets in a three-day siege that began Nov. 26.

Nigerian clashes

The pope also expressed concern for the clashes between rival ethnic and religious groups in Jos, Nigeria, where at least 200 people were killed Nov. 28-29. Churches and mosques were burned in the rioting.

“The causes and circumstances of these tragic events are different, but there should be a common sense of horror and condemnation for the explosion of such cruel and senseless violence,” the pope told pilgrims.

“Let us ask the Lord to touch the hearts of those who delude themselves by thinking that this is the way to resolve local or international problems.”

The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said the well-coordinated attacks in Mumbai were reminiscent of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist acts against U.S. targets.

In a commentary on Vatican Radio, Lombardi said the terrorists had chosen India, a place of tensions and conflicts, as a “critical point at which to try to ignite an even more frightening conflagration.”

In addition to political tensions in the region, he said, India has been troubled by “persistent and perhaps growing fundamentalist currents, not only in the Islamic world but also among Hindus.”

He noted that India’s minority Catholic community had suffered recent discrimination and attacks, just as the country’s Muslim community did several years ago in a wave of anti-Islamic violence.

“It is horrible that in today’s world religion is mixed up with violence. Fundamentalism is one of the most dramatic risks faced by humanity, and it challenges the conscience of every religious person,” the Vatican spokesman said.

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