Pope Francis offers consolation and prayers to victims of Sydney attack

By Vatican News

In a telegram signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, addressed to Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Pope Francis expressed his deep sadness in learning of the violent attack in Sydney, Australia, at a local shopping centre where six people were stabbed to death. 

Assuring his "spiritual closeness to all affected by this senseless tragedy" and especially those mourning the loss of a loved one, the Pope offered his prayers for the dead, the injured, and the first responders. In the telegram, he "invokes upon the nation the divine blessings of consolation and strength."

The victims

Local police told Australian media that the victims at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction were a man and five women, including the mother of a nine-month-old baby who was injured and taken in serious condition to hospital where he later underwent surgery. The perpetrator of the attack was a 40-year-old man known to police who is awaiting formal identification. Law enforcement officials believe that the act was not motivated by an ideological motive or terrorism,  although investigations are continuing.