Report #1 on the Era of Peace
From Catholic World News
October 31, 2005
India's bishops deplore terror blasts
Link to Original
New Delhi, Oct. 31 (CWNews.com) - The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) has joined the widespread condemnation of the three simultaneous bomb blasts that killed 60 people and injured over 200 people Saturday evening in New Delhi.
"We strongly denounce the act of violence that claimed several innocent and precious lives in Delhi," said Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, president of CBCI. "Our deep sympathy goes to the bereaved families and pray that God may grant peace to those departed souls and give strength to all those who bear the loss from this heinous crime."
"This is a terrible tragedy on the Diwali eve," Father Donald De Souza, CBCI deputy secretary general, told CWNews. The timing of the blasts, Father De Souza said, points to the likelihood that the bombings were a terrorist act aimed "to create panic and confusion" on the eve of Diwali.
Diwali (the Hindu 'festival of lights') falls this year on November 1. In terms of festivity and gaiety, Diwali is marked by illumination of houses, bursting of firecrackers and exchange of gifts.
The blasts that killed the dozens of Diwali shoppers is widely seen as the work of Islamic militant groups that are seeking to break India's control over a region of Kashmir, where the population is mostly Muslim. The other portion of Kashmir is already controlled by Pakistan, a country with a large Muslim majority.
October 31, 2005
India's bishops deplore terror blasts
Link to Original
New Delhi, Oct. 31 (CWNews.com) - The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) has joined the widespread condemnation of the three simultaneous bomb blasts that killed 60 people and injured over 200 people Saturday evening in New Delhi.
"We strongly denounce the act of violence that claimed several innocent and precious lives in Delhi," said Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, president of CBCI. "Our deep sympathy goes to the bereaved families and pray that God may grant peace to those departed souls and give strength to all those who bear the loss from this heinous crime."
"This is a terrible tragedy on the Diwali eve," Father Donald De Souza, CBCI deputy secretary general, told CWNews. The timing of the blasts, Father De Souza said, points to the likelihood that the bombings were a terrorist act aimed "to create panic and confusion" on the eve of Diwali.
Diwali (the Hindu 'festival of lights') falls this year on November 1. In terms of festivity and gaiety, Diwali is marked by illumination of houses, bursting of firecrackers and exchange of gifts.
The blasts that killed the dozens of Diwali shoppers is widely seen as the work of Islamic militant groups that are seeking to break India's control over a region of Kashmir, where the population is mostly Muslim. The other portion of Kashmir is already controlled by Pakistan, a country with a large Muslim majority.
posted by jdobbs at 8:32 AM
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