Pope Francis on Wednesday expressed his spiritual closeness with the people of Sweden after at least 11 people were killed by a gunman at an adult school in Örebro on Feb. 4.
In a Feb. 5 telegram to Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the Holy Father said he is deeply saddened by the incident, which has been described as the worst mass shooting in the country’s history, and is praying for all those affected.
“[Pope Francis] offers prayer for the repose of the souls of those who have died, for the consolation of their grieving families and friends, and for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the telegram reads.
“At this difficult time for the nation, His Holiness invokes upon the Swedish people Almighty God’s gifts of unity and peace,” the papal message concludes.
The suspected gunman, who has not been named by police, is among the 11 killed at the Risbergska School for adults. The school offers vocational training courses and Swedish language classes for men and women who were unable to complete their high school education.
According to Sveriges Television, local authorities have not yet confirmed the number of injured people and warned that the death toll could rise.
Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden issued a statement on Wednesday mourning the tragedy: “Together with all of Sweden, we Catholics mourn the victims of the violent incident in Örebro, and we pray for them. Violence and shootings only seem to increase.”
Though shootings in Sweden are rare, police data shows the number of shootings in the country has gone up. To date, the highest number of shootings was in 2022 when 391 shootings took place, killing 62 and injuring an additional 107 people, according to Al Jazeera.
St. Eskil’s Catholic Parish in Örebro opened Wednesday afternoon for those who wanted to light candles, attend Mass, or pray for the city and those affected by the deadly shooting.
All Catholic churches in Sweden will pray for mercy for all the victims at Feb. 9 Sunday Mass celebrations, according to Arborelius’ statement.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
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Kristina Millare is a freelance journalist with a professional communications background in the humanitarian aid and development sector, news journalism, entertainment marketing, politics and government, business and entrepreneurship.
