Archbishop Pezzi of Moscow: “Don’t Give in to Pain”

“Following the brutal terrorist attack in Moscow, which killed and injured many people, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the relatives of the victims and support to all those affected by this terrible tragedy.”

Pastor Paolo Pezzi of the Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow expresses his closeness to the victims and their families of the horrific attack on the Crocus City Concert Hall in the Russian capital that killed 137 people and injured 157 (97 of whom are in serious condition), while urging them not to succumb to pain.

“Today our hearts are full of terror and pain, but let us not let them make us forget that our lives and the lives of all people are in God’s hands. Holy Week, which the Catholic Church enters tomorrow, reminds us that death is not the last word and Christ conquers death. But above all, He shares with us the depth of our suffering. God’s answer to human suffering is a presence full of love,” reads the message published on the website of the Metropolitan Church of the Virgin Mary in the Russian capital.

“With trust in Him, I ask you to pray for the salvation of all those whose lives are still in danger, for the eternal repose of the departed, for the help and healing of those who are suffering, and for the courage and patience of all who are called to help them. (…) I also ask you to exercise due diligence and caution for the sake of your personal and public safety.”