The attack occurred at St. Francis Church in Ondo, Nigeria, where dozens of faithful were killed, including many children.

Newsroom (06/06/2022 1:21 PM, Gaudium Press) Gunmen entered St. Francis Church in Owo, Nigeria, during the celebration of Pentecost Mass this Sunday morning, June 5, and shot at the faithful.

Responsibility for the attack has not yet been claimed, but Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the “heinous murder of worshippers.”

Ondo Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in his statement, called on security forces to hunt down the perpetrators of this “vile and satanic attack.” He called for calm, urging people not to take the law into their own hands. According to state police spokeswoman Ibukun Odunlami, they attacked the church with firearms and explosives.

The Diocese of Owo reported that all the priests of St. Francis Parish are safe and sound. None of them were kidnapped, as some social media claimed. The Bishop of Owo is currently with the priests of the diocese. The bishop calls for calm, obedience to the law, and prayer for peace and a return to normalcy in the communities, Ondo State, and the entire country. “At this moment in the history of our beloved country, Nigeria, we need God’s intervention to restore peace and tranquility,” the Diocese of Owo stated.

The Holy See Press Office reported that Pope Francis prays for the victims and the country painfully affected by the violence and entrusts them to the Lord to send his Spirit to comfort them.

With information from Vatican News.

Compiled by Gustavo Kralj