Scottish Catholic Observer

The attack took place in Lahore and the city’s archbishop, Sebastian Shaw, described going from bed to bed and hearing personal accounts of the atrocity in the city’s hospitals.

“I visited every bedside and every victim, of whatever faith,” the archbishop told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.

“It was truly difficult because I saw so many children, [aged] only 4 or 5, both Christians and Muslims, who had been wounded or killed by this terrible attack.”

Pakistan Taliban group Jaamat-ul-Ahrar have claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was intended to specifically target Christians.

Archbishop Shaw confirmed that many of his Faithful had been in the park enjoying Easter festivities when the attack took place but added that many of the dead and injured were Muslims and other non-Christians.

While Archbishop Shaw was visiting the injured in hospitals in the wake of the blasts, he received a call from the Apostolic nunciature in the capital Islamabad, and he was told that the Pope had personally contacted the nunciature to offer his condolences and the assurance of his prayers to the victims.

“I was getting very tired but then I got a call from the nunciature saying that the Pope had called and personally wanted to send messages of condolence and greeting,” he said. “I found this greatly encouraging and I was able to encourage others too, saying that the Pope was asking after them. I said this to both the Christians and the Muslims in the hospital—who were also encouraged by this act of kindness shown by the Pope.”

On Monday Pope Francis spoke publicly of his distress at the attack while addressing the Faithful in St Peter’s Square.

“Easter Sunday was bloodied by an abominable attack that massacred so many innocent people,” he said.

The Pope also appealed to the government of Pakistan to take steps to ensure the safety of the country’s Christians and other minorities.

The Holy Father has asked for prayers for the victims and for an end to the actions of ‘violent persons, who sow terror and death,’ insisting that ‘violence and murderous hate lead only to sorrow and destruction.’

On Tuesday Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, described the bombing in Lahore as ‘despicable and utterly contemptible.’

Glasgow City Council flew the Pakistani flag at half-staff over the City Chambers on Monday as a mark of respect for the dead.

Wilson Chowdhry, the chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, said the attack was further evidence of a campaign of genocide being waged against Christians in the majority Sunni Muslim country.

—[email protected]

—This story ran in full in the April 1 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.