TELEGRAM FOR ASSASSINATION OF THREE SALESIANS IN INDIA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 17, 2001 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, in the name of Pope John Paul, to Fr. Juan Edmundo Vecchi, major rector of the Salesians, upon hearing of the assassination on May 15 of two Salesian priests and one seminarian:

"Having learned of the tragic deaths of Fr. Rafael Paliakara, Fr. Andreas Kindo, and seminarian Shinu of this Institute, barbarously assassinated in the novitiate of Imphal, in the State of Manipur, India, the Supreme Pontiff desires in this painful moment to express to you, your confreres, and the relatives and friends of the victims, his particular closeness and heartfelt sorrow for the grievous loss of these generous servants of the Gospel, reaffirming his strong censure of every form of violence. In the hope that the blood shed will become a seed of hope in building an authentic fraternity between peoples, His Holiness assures his fervent prayers of suffrage for the eternal repose of these elect souls, and sincerely imparts a comforting apostolic blessing."

TGR;ASSASSINATION SALESIANS;...;SODANO; VECCHI;VIS;20010517;Word: 190;