“God, everyone’s Creator and Father, will be even harsher with those who shed their brothers’ blood in His name”. With these words, Benedict XVI condemned the violence committed against churches and mosques, which has been causing bloodshed in Iraq and Nigeria these last few days. He did it yesterday, as he spoke after the Angelus prayer. “News of violence in Iraq, including attacks to mosques, are coming up all the time these days” said the Pope. “These acts cause deaths, fuel hatred and seriously hinder the reconstruction of the country, which was a difficult process in the first place”. The Pope also spoke of the situation in Nigeria, where he said “fights between Christians and Muslims have gone on for a few days, with many victims and the destruction of churches and mosques”. Then, the Pope expressed his “strong condemnation of the violation of places of worship” and invited “everyone to more intensive praying and penitence in the sacred time of Lent, so that the Lord may take the threat of such conflicts away from those beloved countries, and from so many other places on earth! The fruits of faith in God are not devastating rivalries but a spirit of fraternity and cooperation for a common good”.
