Fr Lombardi called the attack “more awful news, that adds to a series of violence in these days that have left us upset, creating huge pain and worry”.
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Fr Lombardi also said the Pope shares the pain and the horror caused by this absurd violence and expresses firm condemnation of every form of hatred and prays for the victims. The attack took place during morning mass at the Saint-Etienne parish church, south of Rouen in Normandy.
After blocking the door, they took five hostages, including the priest.
“We are particularly struck because this terrible violence took place within a church, a sacred place in which God’s love is preached, with the barbarous murder of a priest and the involvement of the faithful”, Lombardi said.
In the assault on the church, two armed men allegedly slit 84-year-old priest Jacques Hamel’s throat and took hostage two nuns and two worshippers, critically injuring one before being “neutralised” by police.
We are following the situation and we await further information to better understand what happened.
“We are close to the Church in France, to the archdiocese of Rouen, to the affected communities, to the French people”.
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The identity of the two attackers is not yet known. He was later arrested after killing a gymnastics teacher.
