Archbishop Eamon Martin has written to Archbishop Dominique Lebrun, the Archbishop of Rouen, France, to express his shock, to offer condolences and to express the prayerful solidarity of the Church in Ireland following the horrific incident in the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and the violent death of Father Jacques Hamel earlier today.
Archbishop Eamon expressed his closeness in prayer to all those affected by today’s incident adding that it is profoundly disturbing that people gathered in a church for worship and prayer should be targeted in this way.
Archbishop Eamon said he was deeply moved by Archbishop Lebrun’s own words earlier today when he said that the “only weapons that we can take up” as Catholics “are prayer and fraternity among peoples” and his call for people “not to give up in the face of violence but to become apostles of the civilisation of love”.
Archbishop Eamon has assured Archbishop Lebrun of his prayers for the repose of the soul of Father Jacques, for those injured in the attack, and for the community of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.
ENDS
- Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.
For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Brenda Drumm 00353 (0) 87 310 4444
