Nice attack: the voices of EU Bishops’ Conferences. “Together to resist those who want to destabilize our societies”.

“Religions are there to promote love, peace and fellowship, not hatred or violence or those awful events that happened this morning in France”. These words come from the President of the Irish Bishops, Archbishop Eamon Martin, who, like many other bishops, spoke up today about the events in Nice. “Interreligious hatred is fuelled once again”, said the President of the German Bishops, Mgr. Georg Bätzing. “Together, we must resist the ideology of violent criminals and their attempts to destabilize our society”, he continued, to save the vision of Europe as “a great project of peaceful coexistence”. Bishop David Urquhart of Birmingham also shared in the grief and offered prayers “for the dignity of human life and the conversion of hearts of those who give so little value to the sacredness of life”. In a letter to the Bishop of Nice, the Portuguese Bishops expressed their sorrow and condemnation for “this barbaric act of violence that has killed human lives and undermined peace in that region”. The Swedish Council of Churches invited to pray for “the victims, their relatives, rescuers, and policymakers”, while the Anglican Church published a “Prayer for Nice”: “Gracious God, comfort all those who grieve in Nice today, and all who are fearful, that they may be sustained by your presence and filled with the hope of your peace”.
Valentina Bombelli