The Vatican has expressed sympathy for the two dozen victims of the latest terrorist attacks in Nigeria and Kenya

National Church of Nigeria, Abuja (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nigeria has been experiencing bombings and other attacks on an almost weekly basis since last year, and most of these attacks have been blamed on the Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Harem, who want to establish Islamic rule in a country divided culturally and geographically by Christian and Muslim lines.
The group has often targeted Christian churches and congregations, carrying out blasts and killing dozens even on the most holy of Christian holidays, including Christmas and Easter. This past Sunday, the northern Nigerian city of Kano was targeted when attackers believed to be part of the Boko Harem group threw bombs at Beryo University, where Christians had gathered for a religious service. The terrorists then opened fire on the fleeing crowd, slaughtering a total 20 people and wounding many others.
Four other Christians lost their lives in Nigeria on Sunday, in the city of Maiduguri, where terrorists opened fire on worshippers leaving church. Among the victims was the pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, whose name was not given, the AFP reported.
Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, of the Vatican's Holy Press Office, condemned the attacks, calling them "horrific" and "despicable," but called on Christians in the region not give in to the "temptations of hate" and expressed the Vatican's closeness to the community there.
The persecution of Christians in the region does not end in Nigeria, however – in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, another Christian church was attacked by a man who threw a grenade during Sunday service, killing at least one worshipper and injuring 15 others. This time, the attack was blamed on the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group from Somalia, which has also been active in the region in the past year.