CV NEWS FEED // Pope Francis this week assured his prayers for those mourning in the wake of the suspected terrorist attack in New Orleans.
A Jan. 2 telegram addressed to Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans conveyed that the Pope is “deeply saddened” by the deadly attack.
“In assuring the entire community of his spiritual closeness, his holiness commends the souls of those who have died to the loving mercy of Almighty God and prays for the healing and consolation of the injured and bereaved,” reads the telegram, which was signed by Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. “As a pledge of peace and strength in the Lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing.”
In the early hours of Jan. 1, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen, plowed a pickup truck into a crowd gathered to celebrate the new year in New Orleans.
“After crashing the vehicle, [Jabbar] opened fire on attendees and first responders before being fatally shot by police,” CatholicVote reported. “According to the FBI, Jabbar had an ISIS flag and several improvised explosive devices in his car.” The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
Jabbar’s attack killed at least 15 people and injured at least 30 others, according to WDSU, NBC’s New Orleans affiliate.
In a Jan. 1 statement, Archbishop Aymond condemned the attack as “a sign of utter disrespect for human life.”
“I join with others in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans in offering prayerful support to the victims’ families,” the Archbishop said. “I give thanks for the heroic duty of hundreds of law enforcement and medical personnel in the face of such evil.”