Bishop of Oslo: Terrorist attack affects every one of us

The man who confessed to the twin attacks that killed 93 people in Norway was scheduled to be arraigned in court Monday. The people of Norway marked a day of mourning in churches around the country, still in shock over the bombing in downtown Oslo and the massacre at a youth camp outside the capital.

“In all of our churches yesterday, requiem was celebrated, and prayers for the dead and mourning were said,” said the Bishop of Oslo, Bernt Ivar Eidsvig. “The Lutheran Church, of course, draws a greater crowd, and I suppose the great majority of the victims would have been Lutherans.”

He told Vatican Radio the nation is still in shock.

“It has affected every one of us. Despite political difference or other differences, this is a tragedy,” he said. “We do not know anything like it in our history, that 100 people are killed in cold blood. So it is creating unity, and in spite of the grief, also strength.”

Bishop Eidsvig said the fact the perpetrator was Norwegian surprised the people of the country.

“Of course in all countries, there are disturbed and misled persons. I am quite sure he is one of them,” he said. “He must be mentally disturbed. I don’t think ideology is sufficient to explain this.”

Listen to full interview by Charles Collins with Bishop Bernt Ivar Eidsvig: