Catholic church in India prays for victims of New Delhi blasts

Published: 2005-10-31

NEW DELHI (CNS) -- The Catholic Church offered special prayers and condolences for the victims of the Oct. 29 serial bomb blasts in New Delhi that killed 59 people and injured more than 200. Three bombs went off within minutes -- two in markets crowded with people shopping for upcoming religious festivals and the third on a bus. The bombings created nationwide panic and put the country on alert. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India condemned the blasts, and churches across the country offered special prayers for victims during Masses Oct. 30, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi, president of the bishops' conference, denounced the bombings and expressed deep sympathy for the bereaved families as he offered prayers for them. The cardinal's statement Oct. 30 invoked God's "strength to all those who bear the loss from this heinous crime."

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