Catholic parish bombed in Nigeria

March 12, 2012

Suicide bombers attacked a Catholic parish in the central Nigerian city of Jos on March 11, killing at least ten people. Jos has been a center of activity of the Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram.

“Just barely 10 minutes into the Mass, I heard these blasts,” said Father Peter Umoren, “and there was this chaos and the people were finding their way out of the church.”

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos reported that young Christians in the city are “very angry and very restless” in the wake of the attacks. He told Vatican Radio that he had done his best to calm tensions, and believed all religious leaders should do the same.

"I see that it is our duty as religious leaders to work hard to bring down the tension," the archbishop said, "even though out of sentiment and out of anger many people are saying ‘enough is enough we must do something.’”

 

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Further information:

• Nigeria attack targets Catholic church in Jos (BBC)
• Archbishop of Jos: Religious leaders must bring down tension in Nigeria (Vatican Radio)