Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – The Catholic Church in the Holy Land "deplores" the London bombings and the fact that they "took place in the name of religion". Justifying thus "despicable acts of terrorism" is a "flagrant distortion of the true notion of religion".

This is the gist of the message sent yesterday by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mgr Michel Sabbah, to Cardinal Murphy O'Connor Cormac, Archbishop of Westminster and to Rowan Douglas, Archbishop of Canterbury. In his message, the patriarch sent "heartfelt condolences" in the name of the Church of the Holy Land and urged prayer "that God will help us find a way of eradicating this scourge and of developing a culture of peace."

We copy the entire text of the message below:

Deeply saddened by the despicable acts of terrorism that have just been perpetrated against innocent civilians in central London, the Catholic Church in Jerusalem sends its deepest and heartfelt condolences to the people of Great Britain.  Unreservedly, we condemn all such acts of violence, whether they take place in our own Holy Land or elsewhere, and we deplore the fact that they seem to have taken place in the name of religion.

All religions, including Islam, reject violence.  Any and all attempts to justify it on the basis of religion constitute a flagrant distortion of the very notion of religion.  As we share the present suffering of Londoners, our hearts and prayers are with them, particularly with the wounded and the families of those who have lost their lives in this tragedy.  We pray that God will help us find a way of eradicating this scourge and of developing a culture of peace based on tolerance, justice, love and forgiveness.