Below is the Vatican-provided text of Pope Francis’ telegram, sent this morning on his behalf by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Bishop Raymond Ahoua F.D.P., of Grand-Bassam, Côte d’Ivoire, where at midday yesterday a terrorist attack on a tourist resort in the coastal area of Grand-Bassam, sixty kilometres from the capital Abiyan, caused 16 deaths and numerous injuries.
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«Upon learning of the deplorable attack at Grand-Bassam, His Holiness Pope Francis conveys his condolences to the bereaved and assures the injured of his spiritual closeness. He entrusts the victims to God’s mercy, that He may welcome them into His peace and light. Participating in the sadness of the Ivorian people, the Holy Father once again condemns violence and hatred in all its forms. As a sign of consolation he invokes the abundance of divine blessings on Côte d’Ivoire and on all the families affected by this tragedy.»
[Original text: French]
