Apostolic Nuncio celebrates Mass for Dhaka terror victims ‎

The apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh has offered a memorial Mass for the victims, mostly foreigners,  massacred in Friday’s terror attack on a popular restaurant in Dhaka.  In an interview to TV2000 of the Italian Catholic bishops, Archbishop George Kocherry, the nuncio or Vatican ambassador expressed his pain at the death of 20 hostages, particularly 9 Italians.  “We are going through a troubling situation.  We are afraid but we entrust everything in God’s hands.”   “I could not listen to the Pope but he has sent the Bangladeshi Prime Minister a beautiful message, condemning the terror attack,” the archbishop said.  Monday evening Archbishop Kocherry concelebrated a memorial Mass for the dead in Dhaka’s major seminary with Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka.  Many local faithful as well as Italians and other nationals attended the service.  The total death toll from the attack stands at 28, including 20 hostages, 2 Bangladeshi police officers and 6 terrorists.

Earlier on June 20, Archbishops D’Rozario and Kocherry had joined other Protestant clergymen in a prayer meeting in Dhaka to awaken consciences against the surge in Islamic terrorism, which has left a trail of blood across the country.  Faithful from various denominations joined in the ecumenical prayer service in which the Church leaders took turns to read passages from the Bible.