
Pope Leo XIV Condemns Brutal Machete Attack That Killed 49 Christians During Prayer in DR Congo
The Pope, the State Department, the United Nations, and a leading Christian group have all condemned a new major attack on Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which the U.N. says left at least 49 dead.
In the latest of a tragic series of mass murders by Islamist terrorists in both Nigeria and the DRC, rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a sanctioned rebel group allied to the Islamic State with roots in Uganda, burst into a church in the eastern town of Komanda and hacked Christians worshipping inside with machetes and other knives. The congregation was attacked at 1 a.m. during a night vigil, reportedly praying for peace.
The rebels also burned nearby homes, and nine children were among the dead. Several villagers were abducted. A U.S. State Department spokesperson strongly condemned this cowardly act of violence against Christians in their place of worship. Pope Leo XIV called for peace, saying, “May the blood of these martyrs become a seed of peace, reconciliation, fraternity, and love for the Congolese people.”
The U.N.’s Stabilization Mission in the DRC expressed “deep outrage at these heinous acts of violence, which constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and infringements on human rights.”
Christian charity Open Doors warned that the ADF seeks to turn large parts of the DRC into an Islamic caliphate similar to the one created by ISIS in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Despite President Trump’s brokered peace initiative in the region, rural areas remain defenseless, leaving Christians vulnerable to repeated massacres.
(Fox News/VFI News)
“Lord, we lift up our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo and across Africa. We ask for Your divine protection over their lives, comfort for grieving families, and justice against those who commit such atrocities. May Your peace and love prevail where violence seeks to destroy faith and hope.”
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