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Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, sent condolences to His Holiness Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Holy See of St. Mark in All Africa and the Middle East, over a terrorist attack committed at the church complex in the Abbassia district in Cairo on December 11, 2016. The text of the message is given below.

Your Holiness,

Please accept my condolences over the tragedy that has occurred today in the territory of your Patriarchal cathedral in Cairo and claimed the lives of dozens of people.

Once again the extremists have chosen a church for committing their crime, believing in their madness that it would cause panic and discord in society. Instead, the people of Egypt have united in the face of this awful tragedy, for such atrocities have no justification in any religion, filling with pain the heart of every man of good will and reminding us about the necessity of concerted efforts for combating terrorism. It is impossible to terrorize those who bear in mind the Lords words, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul” (Mt 10:28).

I am praying to the All-Merciful God that He grant rest to the souls of the victims and the speedy recovery to all those affected by the tragedy.

With love in the Lord,

 

  /+Hilarion/

Metropolitan of Volokolamsk

Chairman

Department for External Church Relations

Moscow Patriarchate