Pubblichiamo di seguito il telegramma di cordoglio che il Santo Padre ha inviato - a firma del Cardinale Tarcisio Bertone, Segretario di Stato - al Presidente della Conferenza dei Vescovi Cattolici del Pakistan, S.E. Mons. Lawrence John Saldanha, per l’uccisione della Signora Benazir Bhutto, già Primo Ministro e Leader del Pakistan Peoples’s Party:

THE MOST REVEREND LAWRENCE JOHN SALDANHA
ARCHBISHOP OF LAHORE,
PRESIDENT OF THE PAKISTAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE

FOLLOWING THE BRUTAL TERRORIST ATTACK IN WHICH MS BENAZIR BHUTTO, FORMER PRIME MINISTER AND LEADER OF THE PAKISTAN PEOPLE’S PARTY, WAS FATALLY WOUNDED, THE HOLY FATHER EXPRESSES SENTIMENTS OF DEEP SYMPATHY AND SPIRITUAL CLOSENESS TO THE MEMBERS OF HER FAMILY AND TO THE ENTIRE PAKISTANI NATION. HE PRAYS THAT FURTHER VIOLENCE WILL BE AVOIDED AND THAT EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO BUILD A CLIMATE OF RESPECT AND TRUST, WHICH ARE SO NECESSARY IF GOOD ORDER IS TO BE MAINTAINED IN SOCIETY AND IF THE COUNTRY’S POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS ARE TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY.

CARDINAL TARCISIO BERTONE

SECRETARY OF STATE

[01868-02.01] [Original text: English]

[B0698-XX.01]