U.S. bishops publish letter of solidarity with Church in Mali following violent attacks

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has published a letter of solidarity with the Church in Mali following several coordinated attacks that took place April 25–26.

Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles and chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, wrote a letter on behalf of the U.S. bishops on May 19 to Bishop Hassa Florent Kone of the Diocese of San in Mali expressing “fraternal solidarity and deep condolences.”

“Be assured of our spiritual closeness with the bishops and faithful of your country as well as our prayers for the many communities mourning the death of military personnel and civilians, and caring for those wounded by these acts of violence,” Zaidan wrote.

Several coordinated strikes hit a number of military positions across the west African country, including the Kati military base near Bamako, the capital of Mali. The country’s defense minister, ​Sadio Camara, was ‌killed in the attack, carried ​out by ​an al-Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels.

Zaidan highlighted the concern the USCCB has “by the increasing fragility of human security conditions and the growing violence suffered by the people of Mali and in other areas of the Sahel.”

“We reiterate that interreligious dialogue and collaboration among all people of goodwill remain crucial to building social cohesion and lasting peace in the Sahel. We thank God for the work of the Catholic bishops in the region to these ends, with the support of Catholic Relief Services, through the Sahel Peace Initiative,” he said.

The Maronite Catholic bishop also pointed out that “education access and fostering economic opportunity for young people are essential elements of building peace and promoting respect for human dignity.”

In a statement released after the incidents, members of the Episcopal Conference of Mali — the official assembly of Catholic bishops in Mali — said they had followed “with great sorrow” the confrontations in Bamako, Sévaré-Mopti, Gao, and Kidal, where defense and security forces engaged the armed terrorist groups.

The bishops extended “sincere condolences to the state of Mali, to the bereaved families, and to the entire Malian nation” while entrusting the victims to God’s mercy.

They prayed for “the eternal rest of the soldiers and civilians who sacrificed their lives for the homeland” and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

Zaidan added: “In this month of May, I join the bishops of Mali in praying that your country may be guided to truth, unity, and lasting peace, through the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”