Indian bishops pray for Delhi victims, condemn violence

Cardinal Toppo, CBCI president, said "violence is never an answer, it only generates more chaos". Riyad has joined the global chorus of condemnation: "Once again, we are united to defeat terror".

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – The Indian Bishops' Conference assures "families deprived of precious lives" of "solidarity and most profound prayer". Speaking about the three bombs which killed 61 people in New Delhi on Saturday, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, president of the Indian Bishops' Conference (CBCI) said: "We pray that God may grant peace to those departed  souls and give strength to all those who bear serious losses.

"Acts of violence can, by no means, be a solution to grievances of any kind. On the contrary violence will only further aggravate the situation and create more disorder and chaos in society."

CBCI spokesman, Babu Joseph, told AsiaNews about the situation in the city:

"The terror and fear in the people can be felt. The streets are deserted, there is hardly any traffic on the roads. No one would have guessed that the Festival of Lights (Diwali) is just a day away. The lights have gone out for most people. I visited Sarojini Nagar, one of the stricken areas, and I witnessed tragedy, death, and sorrow. I also visited the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS Hospital) to express solidarity with relatives of the victims."

John Dayal, president of the All India Catholic Union, said: "The pope has spoken for all of us in describing terrorism as a sin and a scourge of the present times. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent children, women and men. That the Delhi bombs went off during the festive season in crowded market places speaks of the macabre cynicism in the heart and minds of those who put them there.

 "The Christian community abhors violence and condemns the massacre of innocents in the name of ideology or religion or politics. We pray for the victims, the survivors and for the bereaved families who must live with this terrible loss all their lives."

Saudi Arabia today joined the unanimous chorus of global condemnation: "These criminal acts show once again that there is need for joint efforts by the international community to eradicate terrorism".

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