Cardinal Antonio María Rouco presided at the service Friday in Madrid’s Almudena cathedral, one year after 191 people were killed when bombs went off on four trains targeted by Islamic extremists.
The Spanish royal family, leading politicians and more than 1,000 people, half of whom were relatives of the victims, were present.
«Terrorism does not have nor will it ever have the last word either in people’s lives or in the determination of their destiny,» the cardinal said in his homily.
Quoting St. Paul, he said: «Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.»
Christ’s «victory can and must be our victory. We actualize it constantly in each Eucharistic celebration; also in today’s,» stated Cardinal Rouco.
He invited the faithful to look at the cross and see that «there are sorrows that time mitigates, but only God and the cross heal and transform them into fruits of hope and love.»
