Vatican:

Pope Francis in his address to the faithful after the Angelus prayer on Sunday expressed his sympathies to the community of Santa Maria Church in Turkey’s Istanbul, which suffered an armed attack during Sunday Mass, leaving one dead and several others injured. Condemning the armed attack on the church, the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, stated on X: “We will never allow those who try to destroy our unity and peace by attacking the religious places of our city.”

The 19th-century Roman Catholic Church of Santa Maria located at the country’s capital is run by an Italian order of Franciscan friars. Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani expressed his condolences and condemned the attack. “I am sure that the Turkish authorities will arrest those responsible,” Tajani posted on X.

Pope Francis also appealed for peace in Myanmar, the Middle East, Ukraine, and Haiti. The Holy Father while condemning the sufferings endured by people in the war-torn zones said, “Wars are a disaster for the people and a defeat for humanity.”

"For three years now, the cry of pain and the noise of weapons have taken the place of the smiles that characterizes the people of Myanmar," said the Pope, upon focusing on the people of Myanmar. He thereby appealed for the facilitation of humanitarian aid for the Burmese.

"The weapons of destruction may be transformed into instruments to grow in humanity and justice," prayed the Pontiff for Myanmar.

The United Nations Refugee Agency in its 2024 situation overview of Myanmar stated that thousands of refugees fled to neighboring countries and more than 1.95 million were found to be internally displaced within the country as a result of the conflicts that sprouted out of the military takeover of Myanmar in February 2021. The agency also noted that humanitarian access is not predictable and access to potential areas of return has not been granted in 2023.

“The same must happen in the Middle East, in Palestine and Israel,” said the Holy Father. He added, “I always think intensely of all victims, especially of those who are civilians, who are killed by the war in Ukraine.”

“It is a disaster for the people and a defeat for humanity!” said the Pope.