Pope deplores latest killings of Christians in Pakistan

(Aug.4, 2009): Pope Benedict XVI deplored the killing of eight Christians in Pakistan by a Muslim mob and urged the minority Christian community not to be deterred by the attack. Some 8 Christians, including four women and a child, were either shot or burned alive Aug.1^st, when a crowd attacked the eastern Pakistani town of Gojra, setting fire to dozens of Christian homes.
A condolence telegram sent in the Pope's name by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarciscio Bertone to Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, said the Holy Father was deeply grieved to learn of the senseless attack on the Christian community. Noting the tragic deaths and the immense destruction in the neighbourhood, he sent condolences to the families of the victims and expressed solidarity with the survivors. The Pope appealed to everyone to renounce the way of violence, which causes so much suffering, and to embrace the way of peace."
The Papal telegram, addressed to Bishop Coutts asked the prelate to "encourage the whole diocesan community, and all Christians in Pakistan, not to be deterred in their efforts to help build a society which, with a profound sense of trust in religious and human values, is marked by mutual respect among all its members."
Church-run schools, which were set to reopen in some cities Aug. 3, were closed for three days to mourn the deaths. The government meanwhile, appealed for calm and announced an investigation into the attack. About 95 percent of Pakistan's 160 million people are Muslim. Less than 2 percent are Christian.