UK bishops pray for peace amid widespread violent protests over stabbing attack

Protesters attempt to enter the Holiday Inn Express Hotel, which is housing asylum seekers, on Aug. 4, 2024, in Rotherham, United Kingdom. / Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Aug 5, 2024 / 14:58 pm (CNA).

The Catholic bishops of the United Kingdom are praying for peace amid rioting sparked by the tragic stabbing of several schoolchildren by the son of Rwandan immigrants, saying “such violence threatens the values of our society.”

“I condemn the appalling violence over the past week, especially that directed at migrants and their places of residence,” Auxiliary Bishop Paul McAleenan of Westminster, the U.K.’s lead bishop for migrants and refugees, said in an Aug. 5 statement. “They demonstrate a complete disregard of the values which underpin the civil life of our country.”

The protests follow a stabbing attack at a children’s dance class in Southport, England, which left three young girls dead and nearly a dozen people injured in late July. According to the BBC, the 17-year-old suspect was born in the United Kingdom and his parents are immigrants from Rwanda, a predominantly Christian country in central Africa.

Reports have emerged of protestors attacking and damaging hotels housing asylum seekers, including a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Sunday night. About 240 asylum seekers who had been staying at the hotel were moved overnight after clashes between police and a crowd of hundreds of people, the BBC reported. 

Amid promises by Prime Minister Kier Starmer to make rioters feel “the full force of the law,” police in the U.K. have arrested nearly 400 people since the protests began last week, and trials for some rioters have already begun.

“Today, and always, we need to continue to pray, work, and stand together for peace in our country. The actions of the few involved in violence stands in stark contrast to the work of charities, church groups, and volunteers who tirelessly extend the hand of welcome to migrants in acts of solidarity. We hope and pray that they will redouble their efforts so that we can rebuild communities after the terrible events of the last few days,” McAleenan continued. 

“My prayers are particularly with those who are sheltering in hotels or are feeling threatened. You are loved and welcome here. We all should do what we can to make sure that you feel safe. My prayers are also with the emergency services, who selflessly continue to work despite the risks. Thank you for all that you do in the service of the common good.”

Three children — 6-year-old Bebe King, 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and 9-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar — died in the stabbing attack, which occurred at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the northwest English town. Another eight children who attended the dance class suffered stab wounds, according to police. Two adults who were injured remained in critical condition before being later discharged. As of Monday, one child remains in the hospital. 

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of the Archdiocese of Liverpool last week urged Catholics to join him in prayer for the victims. 

“For those who have been injured, for those who are parents, family, and friends of the injured, for all involved in the emergency services, we pray for God’s blessing, God’s peace, and God’s presence today,” McMahon said in a statement on Monday, July 29, after the attack.