Report #2 on the Era of Peace
From Catholic World News
October 31, 2005
Link to Original
Pope Condemns Slaughter of Indonesian Christian Girls
Vatican, Oct. 31 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) has sent his condolences to the parents of three Christian girls who were murdered in Indonesia on October 29, and promised his "fervent prayers to the Lord for the return of peace among that people."
The Pope's message to Bishops Joseph Theodorus Suwatan of Manado, Indonesia, condemned the "barbaric murder" of three teenage girls who were attacked and beheaded as they traveled to a private Christian school on the island of Celebes. A fourth girl, who survived the attack, said that six men dressed in black and armed with machetes had accosted the teens.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also condemned the "sadistic" and "barbaric" assault, and ordered an all-out manhunt for the killers.
The massacre occurred in Poso, in a region where about 1,000 people have died in religious and ethnic violence during the past 5 years. The conflict between Christians and Muslims is particularly sharp in regions such as Poso, where the population is almost evenly divided. Some of the attacks against Christians have apparently been launched by militia groups based elsewhere in Indonesia: a country that is more than 90 percent Muslim. The bloodshed has continued despite a peace accord signed by local ethnic leaders in 2001.
October 31, 2005
Link to Original
Pope Condemns Slaughter of Indonesian Christian Girls
Vatican, Oct. 31 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) has sent his condolences to the parents of three Christian girls who were murdered in Indonesia on October 29, and promised his "fervent prayers to the Lord for the return of peace among that people."
The Pope's message to Bishops Joseph Theodorus Suwatan of Manado, Indonesia, condemned the "barbaric murder" of three teenage girls who were attacked and beheaded as they traveled to a private Christian school on the island of Celebes. A fourth girl, who survived the attack, said that six men dressed in black and armed with machetes had accosted the teens.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also condemned the "sadistic" and "barbaric" assault, and ordered an all-out manhunt for the killers.
The massacre occurred in Poso, in a region where about 1,000 people have died in religious and ethnic violence during the past 5 years. The conflict between Christians and Muslims is particularly sharp in regions such as Poso, where the population is almost evenly divided. Some of the attacks against Christians have apparently been launched by militia groups based elsewhere in Indonesia: a country that is more than 90 percent Muslim. The bloodshed has continued despite a peace accord signed by local ethnic leaders in 2001.
posted by jdobbs at 8:35 AM
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