Pope, Church and goverment leaders decry Brussels ISIS bombings
Pope Francis decried the bombings that happpened in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday, which killed at least 30 people and injured 230.
In a statement for Mechelen-Brussels archbishop Jozef De Kesel and the Roman Catholic dignitaries in Belgium, Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Pietero Parolin said that "His Holiness Pope Francis entrusts to God's mercy those who died and joined in prayer with their relatives." The Pope expresses his sympathies to those who were hurt, the families, and the people who are helping with the relief efforts.
"The Holy Father again condemns the blind violence that causes so much suffering and implores God for the gift of peace," Parolin said, as quoted by The New York Times. "He invokes God's blessings for the bereaved families and for the people of Belgium."
The first two attacks happened Tuesday at around 8 a.m. at the Brussels Zaventem international airport where two explosions took place. The bombs reportedly contained broken glass and nails. Another bomb was found, according to the New York Daily News, but did not go off. The third explosion happened about an hour later in the Maelbeek metro in Central Brussels about 6 miles away.
In reaction, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury released a statement through a Facebook post.
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He wrote. "Once again we see the contrast between the vain efforts to terrify through indiscriminate murder, and the call of God to be those who show mercy, who seek peace and pursue it."
Three men seen in a footage are suspected to be responsible for the bombings, two of which are believed to have been suicide bombers and one still at large. The Islamic State terror group said they are responsible for attacks.
"Islamic State fighters opened fire inside Zaventem airport before several of them detonated their explosive belts," a statement from the group given to the Amaq news agency said, as quoted by USA Today. A "martyrdom bomber detonated his explosive belt in the Maelbeek metro station."
Many country leaders have condemned the act, calling it "appalling" and "despicable." Also, the BBC reports that within hours, the word "Brussels" trended on social media, showing the support of people online to the city.
"We join with the Church in Belgium and the entire nation in this moment of intense pain," Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia said, as quoted by Spirit FM 90.5. "Each life lost was a precious gift from God that has been torn from all those whom it touched."
