Pope Francis Prays for Victims and Perpetrators of Paris Terrorist Attack

Pope Francis dedicated the first words of his homily this morning at Holy Mass to the victims of yesterday’s Islamic terrorist attack in Paris. His words this morning at Santa Marta come after the Holy See last evening issued a statement expressing the Pope’s forceful condemnation of the attack.

Here below we publish the full text of the statement released today by the Holy See Press Office.

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Here are the words which the Holy Father Francis delivered this morning at the beginning of his homily, during the Holy Mass at Santa Marta, which he celebrated for the victims of the attack that took place yesterday in Paris at Charlie Hebdo magazine headquarters:

"Yesterday’s terror attack in Paris makes us think of so much cruelty, human cruelty, of so much terrorism, both isolated incidents of terrorism and state sponsored terrorism. What great cruelty man is capable of! Let us pray at this Mass, for the victims of this cruelty. So many! And let us also pray for the perpetrators of this cruelty, that the Lord might grant them a change of heart."

Translation by Diane Montagna of Aleteia’s English edition.