RELIGIOUS leaders in Austria and across Europe have deplored the shootings that left at least five dead and 22 injured in central Vienna on Monday night.
“The faith of the gospel is stronger than terror — stronger than fear and uncertainty,” the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria said in a statement. “At this difficult time of pandemic, Austria is commemorating its regaining of freedom and peace 75 years ago — not with grandiose words and pompous celebrations, but with the determination not to let anyone endanger these achievements. . . This country and its people will not allow themselves to be discouraged as they continue on the path of justice, respect, and charity.” The Council, which comprises 16 denominations,said that churches were grateful for the “resolute, courageous, and prudent” response of security services to the attacks at six locations close to the central synagogue in Vienna. Archbishop Franz Lackner of Salzburg, president of the Roman Catholic Bishops’ Conference, praised national reactions to the atrocity, and called on religious believers to oppose terrorism “inwardly with all the strength of spirit and faith”. “We will not bow to violence or flee into the hustle and bustle of everyday life; peace, a basic word of faith recognised by all religions, is a precious good to be defended,” the Archbishop said at an ecumenical service on Tuesday evening in Salzburg Cathedral, during three days of national mourning. “This attack shows what Austria always believed to be far away is actually very close. What misguided, inhuman ideology was at work there, to shoot randomly at peacefully assembled people?”
Accompanied by the tolling of church bells, a minute’s silence was held for those caught up in the attack, which was condemned by the Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, as an assault on the country’s “way of life and democracy”. The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bishop Michael Chalupka, vowed in a Facebook message that terrorism would not “break the cohesion” of city life. The Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, assured the congregation at a memorial service in St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, attended by state and government representatives, as well as Muslim, Jewish, and Orthodox and other church leaders, that religious co-operation would survive the attack. “Peace is never a finished product, but a network of many individual efforts and appropriate attitudes which shun the stirring of hatred and prejudice. A crisis also shows how well our institutions work,” the Cardinal said. There were also ecumenical commemorations in Linz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, and other cities. “Religious peace in Austria has grown from the terrible experiences of religious wars and murderous persecution of the Jews. This unity must never be jeopardised by individual, misguided acts of hatred.” Police confirmed that they had shot dead a 20-year-old gunman armed with a shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle and machete, near a church, St Rupert’s, during the outrage, and were hunting other suspects after making arrests during house raids across Austria. In a televised address on Tuesday, President Alexander Van der Bellen urged Austrians to uphold “freedom, tolerance, and respect”, as well as their hard-won “life in a liberal democracy which terrorists apparently hate so deeply”. Austria’s Islamic Faith Community said that it was “deeply affected and stunned” by the outrage.
Vienna’s Community Rabbi, Schlomo Hofmeister, told the national broadcasting service Österreichischer Rundfunk that he had witnessed at least 100 rounds fired into bars and restaurants near the synagogue compound. The attack, he said, revived memories of a Palestinian attack on the Stadttempel synagogue, which killed two and wounded 30, in 1981.
About The Author
Harrison Okafor
editor
Judith is a believer, a lover of Christ and a Gospel freak person. A passionate gospel blogger and press writer. I work with GospelHitsNaija.net Media, no 1 Gospel music platform.
