ASIA/PAKISTAN - Christmas will be celebrated in the church hit by the attack in Quetta

Friday, 22 December 2017 terrorism   local churches   ecumenicalism   violence   martyrs   christmas  

AG

Quetta (Agenzia Fides) - The faithful Christians of Quetta will celebrate the Christmas liturgies in the Methodist church hit by the attack on December 17: this is what Protestant Pastor Simon Bashir, who is responsible for the pastoral care of the Bethel Methodist Memorial Church devastated by kamikaze attacks that killed 14 people and 56 wounded reveals to Agenzia Fides. The parish priest confirms that, after a consultation with the faithful of the community, Mass and Christmas celebrations will not be canceled. The church will remain open on December 24th and 25th, thanks to the work of many faithful who, in these hours, are at work to make the building accessible. "We are temporarily repairing broken windows with plastic sheets. The door has been adjusted with wooden slabs. We will use carpets instead of damaged benches", reports the Pastor to Fides, noting the good will of the faithful who will also work to strengthen the security service. The Prime Minister and the political authorities of the province of Beluchistan, of whom Quetta is the capital, are also invited to the celebrations. Speaking of damage, the Pastor notes that the damage in the building amounts, approximately, to a value of one million rupees (7,700 euros).
Full solidarity with the affected community comes from other Pakistani Christian communities. Fr. Sabir Sadiq, Catholic priest, Vicar general of the Catholic diocese of Hyderabad declares to Fides: "We condemn the activities, the groups and the people active in terrorism, who have disregard for human life. The faithful who died in Quetta are martyrs, because they died while they were in the presence of God. From these episodes we must learn to respect one another's faith. And it is only possible through moral and ethical education".
Christian Khalil George, a parliamentarian elected in Quetta and a member of the National Assembly, told Fides: "I am sad to see that there is not much security in the Churches. I have asked the Federal Government to provide the necessary funds to ensure protection for churches". George has also asked the government to allocate a compensation of 30 million rupees (228 thousand euros) to the families of the victims and 10 million (76 thousand euros) for each wounded person. (AG) (Agenzia Fides, 22/12/2017)

AG

AG

AG


Share: