NCC condemns attack on worshippers in Nigeria

New York, December 27, 2011 – The National Council of Churches has condemned the Christmas Day bombing of a Roman Catholic Church in Madella, Nigeria as “intrinsically evil.”

Incoming NCC President Kathryn Mary Lohre joined Pope Benedict XVI and other religious leaders in denouncing the terrorist acts that claimed the lives of 39 people and injured hundreds.

“The National Council of Churches deplores any attack on Christian communities anywhere in the world,” Lohre said. “But more than that, we condemn any violent act so contrary to the common understanding of God’s love as it is expressed among Christians, Muslims and persons of all the major faith traditions.”

Lohre called on the Council’s member communions “and  all persons of good will to pray for the families in Madella who have lost loved ones, and to ask God’s healing mercies for all who have been touched by this tragedy.”

Pope Benedict Monday termed the attacks as “absurd.”

“Violence is a path that leads only to pain, destruction and death,” Benedict said. “Respect, reconciliation and love are the only path to peace.” '

Responsibility for the attack was claimed by an Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has been the leading force for shared ecumenical witness among Christians in the United States. The NCC's 37 member communions -- from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace churches -- include 45 million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 646-853-4212 (cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org