Pope sends Message to mark AMIA bombing

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a Message to the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) to mark the twentieth anniversary of the bombing of the AMIA centre in Buenos Aires, which killed eighty-five people and wounded hundreds of others. The incident remains the worst terrorist attack in Argentina's history. Below, please find the full text of Pope Francis' Message in English. 

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On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the tragedy at the AMIA, I would like to express my solidarity with the Jewish community of Argentina and with all the family members of the victims, be they Jews or Christians. It is now 20 years since this tragedy, since this lunacy happened. Terrorism is lunacy. Terrorism’s only purpose is to kill. It does not build anything, it only destroys.

For this reason, I stand side-by-side with all those who have seen lives cut short, hopes destroyed, and ruin.

I have said that Buenos Aires is a city that needs to cry, that still hasn’t cried enough. Even if it is commonplace, I repeat: We need to cry.

We tend to archive things in order not to burden ourselves with history, with suffering, with things that could have been beautiful but weren’t. And therefore, it costs us a lot to find ways to reach justice, to face the damage this tragedy has inflicted upon society. Today, together with my solidarity and my prayers for all the victims, comes my desire for justice. May justice be done!

God bless you all, the institutions and the families. And may God give peace to all those who died in this act of lunacy.