Asian Bishops call for peace to disarm violence following mass killings in Sri Lanka
The Indonesian Catholic Church and the Communion of Churches of Indonesia extend their condolences. Card Bo appeals "to the grace of the risen Christ, the prince of peace". Christians in Muslim majority countries in South East Asia express their solidarity.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Indonesia's Catholic bishops issued a letter condemning the attacks on three churches and as many hotels carried out on Easter Sunday. In it, the prelates say that violence only begets endless violence whilst peace is the solution that can disarm it.
Since the attacks, the Islamic State (IS) group has taken responsibility for the death so far of 359 people, and the wounding of more 500, many of whom are currently in hospital in very serious conditions.
The (Protestant) Communion of Churches of Indonesia (PGI) joined the Catholic Bishop' Conference of Indonesia (KWI) in praying, expressing solidarity, and extending its condolences, noting that "acts of terror, hatred, hostility and mass killings are absolutely against the true teachings of every religion."
Mgr Antonius Franciskus Subianto Bunyamin, bishop of Bandung and KWI executive secretary, said that Indonesian bishops offered their prayers for "the victims, the wounded in the attacks, and their families."
"We condemn this new series of violence with firmness, for such brutal actions have stripped us as human beings of our dignity and tarnished our humanity," he said.
In ending KWI's message, the bishop of Bandung expressed hope that the attacks in Sri Lanka would not undermine inter-faith dialogue in which the Church of Indonesia is involved.
"As a people, we are now called upon to reaffirm the spirit of brotherhood of Indonesians, this despite our many differences," he added.
The tragic pictures from Sri Lanka marked the Easter Sunday of all the Catholics of Asia, who immediately expressed their closeness to the local Christian community.
Card Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar) and president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), appealed "to the grace of the risen Christ, the prince of peace, to strengthen the good will of all in the climate of fear and distrust caused by the attacks.”
Christians from Muslim majority Southeast Asian countries have also expressed their solidarity. Mgr Julian Leow Beng Kim, Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur and executive secretary of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), issued a statement after the tragic events in Sri Lanka.
“Christians in Malaysia are filled with horror, shock, and dismay that on this most Holy Day such despicable acts of destruction can be contemplated and carried out upon innocent citizens. [. . .] May Almighty God restore peace to the beautiful land of Sri Lanka and all understand that violence only begets more violence and differences can only be resolved when we learn to be peacemakers."
The CFM includes the Council of Churches (CCM), the Evangelical Christian Fraternity and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia (CBCM). Malaysia is 60 per cent Muslim.
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