In Nazareth, a machine-gunned Christian school
"We view this event with severity, because convents and Christian schools have always been outside the vicious circle of violence that plagues Arab society. It is a miracle that there was no victim in this incident and that a huge catastrophe has been avoided."
Thursday, March 16, at 18:30 p.m., the school and convent of the Franciscan Sisters of Nazareth were machine-gunned by two individuals on a motorbike. If the students were not present at this time of day, the nuns were praying in the chapel.
Believing that this is an "extremely serious" matter, Bishop Rafiq Nahara, the Latin Patriarchal Vicar in Israel, wrote to the Israeli Ministers of Education, Interior and Foreign Affairs. He calls for a "rapid investigation".
He also speaks of a "miracle", rejoicing that there were no casualties.
"We view this event with severity, because convents and Christian schools have always been outside the vicious circle of violence that plagues Arab society. It is a miracle that there was no victim in this incident and that a huge catastrophe has been avoided."
"In the Arab cities", he specifies, "there is a lot of shooting, sometimes against people, extortion of money or usurious loans which can lead to physical violence".
On Sunday, "a violent incident" took place during Sunday mass, in the middle of Lent, in Tomb of the Virgin, one of the most important Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem reported an attempt to physically harm [a] archbishop [who was officiating] and to attack a priest". He then called for "international protection of holy places".
MC
