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Pope Francis sends ‘blessings of strength and peace’ after shooting in Maine

October 28, 2023 Catholic News Agency 0
Pope Francis invoke the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Peace and Mother of Mercy at a prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter’s Basilica, Friday, Oct. 27. / Credit: Courtney Mares

Rome Newsroom, Oct 28, 2023 / 10:03 am (CNA).

Pope Francis said Saturday he is praying for strength and peace for the community of Lewiston, Maine, after the city experienced two deadly mass shootings earlier this week.

The Wednesday shootings at a restaurant and a bowling alley in Maine’s second most populous city, in the southern part of the state, left 18 people dead and 13 people injured.

The victims ranged in age from 14 to 76, according to officials, who released the names and photographs of victims on Friday.

The man suspected of the shooting, 40-year-old Robert Card, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Friday evening after a days-long manhunt, the New York Times reported.

Pope Francis “was deeply saddened to learn of the terrible loss of life resulting from the mass shooting in Lewiston, and he expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering from this unspeakable tragedy, especially the families who lost loved ones,” said an Oct. 28 telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

“With first trust that aided by God’s grace we can overcome evil with good (c.f. Romans 12:21),” it continued, “the Holy Father invokes upon the people of Lewiston and indeed the entire country, almighty God’s blessings of strength and peace.”

The message said the pope is praying for the recovery of the wounded, for the medical personnel caring for them, and for the souls of the dead.

“He likewise commends the noble efforts of first responders who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the community.”

Lewiston police said on Facebook late on Wednesday that the shootings occurred at local establishments Schemengees Bar and Sparetime Recreation.  

In a statement posted to Facebook, Portland Bishop Robert Deeley said it was “heartbreaking to hear of lives lost and dozens injured and to know of the pain and grief that so many families are experiencing.”

“We pray for all those impacted by this terrible violence, that the Lord may provide them with consolation in the midst of their sorrow,” Deeley said. “In this moment of trial and uncertainty, let us raise up our prayers, asking God to give strength to them and to our community now and in the coming days, and we ask him to protect our law enforcement officers as they seek to prevent further harm.”

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News Briefs

EU leaders to call for humanitarian corridors in Gaza as war rages

October 26, 2023 Catholic News Agency 1
Displaced Palestinians who fled their houses amid Israeli strikes wait at a food distribution point as they shelter in tents set up in a United Nations-run center following Israel’s call for more than 1 million civilians in northern Gaza to move south, in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct. 26, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. / Credit: MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images

CNA Staff, Oct 26, 2023 / 14:10 pm (CNA).

European Union leaders are set to call for the establishment of “humanitarian corridors and pauses” to transport aid to civilians into the Gaza Strip as the war between Israel and Hamas enters its third week. 

The European Council “expresses its gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and calls for continued, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need,” reads the text of a resolution from the EU, set to be presented at a leadership summit in Brussels on Thursday, as reported by Reuters and multiple other media outlets.

The council statement said it was calling for aid access “through all necessary measures including humanitarian corridors and pauses.” 

“The European Union will work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, provide assistance, and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel, and shelter, ensuring that such assistance is not abused by terrorist organizations,” the statement said.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 6,500 people in Gaza and wounded more than 17,400, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry reported on Thursday; meanwhile, Israeli authorities say more than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas’ initial Oct. 7 attack on Israel. 

Some humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza since the start of the war, but the widespread closure of checkpoints into the area has brought about a health crisis for civilians in the region, particularly those who have serious medical conditions, an aid group told CNA recently. 

Aid groups such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Aid to the Church in Need, Caritas International, and World Central Kitchen are working to provide families with assistance in the Holy Land and Palestine. CRS has spoken out in favor of “immediate humanitarian access” to the Gaza Strip. 

Religious leaders in Jerusalem have likewise called for aid to be allowed into the stricken region, with Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant leaders pleading with Israeli leaders to “allow humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza so that the thousands of innocent civilians may receive medical treatment and basic supplies.”

Pope Francis first addressed the war in Israel and Palestine on Oct. 8, declaring that “terrorism and war do not bring any solution but only death and suffering for many innocent people.” 

The pontiff has called for a worldwide day of prayer and fasting on Friday, Oct. 27. 

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