Pope Receives News of Murdered Sisters With 'Great Sadness'

Sends Message of Condolences to Archbishop of Bujumbura

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The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has sent a telegram of condolences on behalf of the Holy Father to Archbishop Evariste Ngoyagoye of Bujumbura, Burundi, for the killing of three Italian Xaverian Missionary sisters on Sunday in their convent in Kamenge, north of the capital Bujumbura.

Cardinal Parolin writes: “His Holiness Pope Francis has learned with great sadness of the murder of three nuns, Sister Bernadetta Bogiann, Sister Lucia Pulici and Sister Olga Raschietti, who were in the pastoral service of the parish of Saint Guido Maria Conforti in Bujumbura. The Holy Father begs the Lord to welcome into his kingdom of peace and light these three faithful and devout nuns. In these tragic circumstances, he expresses his closeness to their religious community, to the families of the victims, and the entire diocesan community. He imparts the comfort of a heartfelt and affectionate apostolic blessing to all those affected by their sudden loss. I join the Holy Father in offering my condolences and wish to assure those close to the departed Sisters of my fervent prayers”.

The Secretary of State also sent another telegram to Sister Ines Frizza, superior general of the Xaverian Missionary Sisters of Mary, in which he expresses his sadness for the tragic death of the missionaries and “assures his heartfelt participation in the profound suffering of the Congregation for the loss of such dedicated sisters”.

The Holy Father, “in the hope that the blood they have shed may become the seed of hope to build true fraternity between peoples, raises fervent prayers for the eternal repose of their souls and for their generous witness of the Gospel. To their families, the entire Institute and those who mourn their loss, he imparts the comfort of his apostolic blessing”, the cardinal concludes.

The bodies of the three elderly sisters, who may have been victims of an attempted robbery, were found over the weekend.

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