The Missionaries of Charity who were killed in Yemen on March 4. (Photo. Vatican Radio)
MANILA, March 9, 2016— Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila expressed sorrow over the death of the four nuns from Mother Teresa’s “Missionaries of Charity” who were killed recently at a retirement home in war-torn Yemen.
The cardinal, who just arrived in Manila from Rome, lamented the “tragic” death of the nuns and 12 others after gunmen stormed the elderly care home on March 4.
The attackers reportedly handcuffed victims before shooting them at close range in the head.
“Ipinaparating po natin ang pakikiisa sa mga madre ng Missionaries of Charity sa kanilang pananalangin sa trahedya sa Yemen. (We express our solidarity with the Missionaries of Charity in their prayer for the tragedy in Yemen),” Tagle told Church-run Radio Veritas on Wednesday.
“Kailanman hindi tayo dapat maging kampante kapag ang buhay ng tao ay nalalapastangan (Never should we become complacent when the life of people is defiled),” he said.
The nuns have been identified by the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia as Sisters Anselm from India, Margherite from Rwanda, Reginette from Rwanda and Judith from Kenya.
Cardinal Tagle was in Rome for almost two weeks for meetings with Caritas Internationalis which he currently heads.
He also visited Syrian refugees and migrant workers in Lebanon on March 1.
The Manila archbishop also asked for prayers for the perpetrators who also destroyed religious statues and a crucifix in the chapel.
In condemning the attack, Pope Francis earlier said that the four nuns are “modern-day martyrs” and victims of “indifference.”
“These are today’s martyrs,” he said during his weekly Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square. “They are not on the front pages of the newspapers – they are not news. They give their blood for the Church.” (R. Lagarde / CBCPNews)
