FABC president pays homage to Egypt’s Coptic martyrs ‎

The president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) paid homage to the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians beheaded earlier this week by Islamist extremists in Libya, wishing their martyrdom bring dialogue and peace among all religions.  “Our hearts bleed  for the  twenty-one Coptic Egyptian citizens in Libya.  The Church of Asia, bows our   heads in prayer and  offers  our condolences and sympathy to His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and to the families of the Martyrs and  the Egyptian people and the Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli,” Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay told Asianews on Friday.   He noted that deliberate killing of the  21 innocent young men -  killed simply for being Christian- is an act of  cowardice and evil , and in the face of death, these Martyrs  showed  immense courage, strength and dignity.  We pray that the sacrifice of their lives brings graces  of Peace for  the whole Coptic family in the midst of this senseless and tragic crimes.  

The FABC president said he offered his Mass on the first Friday of Lent for the eternal rest of the souls of the 21 Coptic Christians  and for their grieving families.  “This heinous act,” he said, “underscores the urgent need for promotion of peace and dialogue among religions and the urgent and pressing need to correct the distorted and false and misleading view of God and religion.” “This is and against the nature of God  and against all religion. We pray for them and pray for the conversion of heart of all those who committed these crimes,” he added.  (Source: AsiaNews)