PRESIDENT of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Francis Carroll has decrie
d the terrorist bombing massacre in Bali on October 12 as ‘a wanton, premeditated attack on innocent people which fills all people of goodwill with shock and dismay’.
He invited Catholics to go to church to pray in solidarity with those who are suffering.
Today (Sunday) has been declared a national day of prayer and remembrance in Australia for the victims of the Bali bombing.
A car bomb exploded just before midnight on October 12 outside night clubs patronised mainly by tourists in Kuta. More than 180 people died immediately or soon afterwards and more than 300 were injured.
The Indonesian bishops condemned the bombings as ‘truly shameful’, while calling on the Government to launch an immediate, wide manhunt for the bombers.
Last week, Archbishop Carroll, on behalf of the Catholic Church in Australia, extended sympathy and an assurance of prayers to everyone who was grieving or awaiting news of loved ones in the tragedy.
Brisbane Archbishop Bathersby asked all Catholics to pray at Masses this weekend for the victims and their families, as well as for ‘the enlightenment of the evil people who seek to achieve political results from the slaughter of innocent people’.
In Sydney, a special Mass was celebrated in St Mary’s Cathedral on October 14.
Cathedral administrator Msgr Tony Doherty said: ‘The face of massive human tragedy has shown itself in our nation in a quite unprecedented form.’
In Adelaide, Archbishop Philip Wilson said the ratio of suffering from the tragedy could be greater than the September 11 attack on America.
Leader of the Uniting Church in Australia and a long-time former resident of Indonesia, Rev Professor James Haire condemned the bombing and ‘terrorist acts of all kinds in all places because they are an evil before God and humanity’.
