Pope’s Message expressing grief at news of Rio de Janeiro school massacre

(April 09, 2011) Pope Benedict XVIth sent a message expressing his deep sorrow and distress at the shootout in a school of that city, striking defenceless children. The message was sent through Vatican Secretary of State. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone; the Pope repeated his strong “NO” to violence, and urged the building up of a society founded on justice and respect for the human person. The message was addressed to to Archbishop Orani João Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, on Friday. In a similar message to the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio in Brazil, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, the Pope conveyed his heatfelt condolences to all those who have lost dear ones in this tragedy. The gunman of the tragedy in the Realengo elementary school of Rio de Janeiro was an old pupil of the school, 23- year-old Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, after killing twelve children, aged from 12 to 15 and wounding 12 others, two reported in grave condition, the gunman shot himself. The reasons of the tragedy are still unknown. The funerals of the dead children took place on Friday. Heartbroken, in the wake of the tragedy, Brasil is seriously debating it’s gun laws.