Attacks in France, including a knife attack which killed three people on 29 October 2020 in the Basilica of Notre Dame in Nice, France, have been condemned by, among others, the Catholic Church in England and Wales, the World Council of Churches (WCC), and the Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom.
Catholic Church
Pope Francis expressed his sorrow and offered prayers for the Church in France. He also condemned ‘such violent acts of terror in the strongest possible way.’
Archbishop Bernard Longley, Chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales Department of Dialogue and Unity, condemned the killings, describing them as ‘senseless’.
See the Catholic Church in England and Wales website.
Inter Faith Network
The Board and Moderators of the Faith Communities Forum of the Inter Faith Network for the UK issued a statement condemning ‘in the strongest terms terrorism and other acts of violent extremism. They have no place in a democratic society. We deplore these fundamental acts of inhumanity and our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected.’
See the Inter Faith Network website.
World Council of Churches (WCC)
WCC interim general secretary, Rev Prof Dr Ioan Sauca, expressed solidarity with the churches and people of France, and condolences to the families of the victims.
‘These atrocities demand a renewed search for an effective response to the phenomenon of violent religious extremism, not only in France, but in the many countries around the world that continue to be afflicted by it each day’, he said. ‘There can be no legitimate religious justification for this brutality, and any and all attempts to justify such attacks on religious grounds must be categorically denounced.’
See the WCC website.
