Message from Bishop Paul Hinder on the recent attack in the MC Care Home in Yemen

Dear friends,

I wish to acknowledge your thoughtfulness and your solidarity in prayer and mourning about what happened last Friday in Yemen.

Let us not give space to hatred in order to avoid that the evil one wins the battle. Let us continue to do what the four martyrs and their collaborators did: to serve the poorest of the poor even if some radical people do not like it. Let us continue to pray for the departed ones and especially for the missing Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil. Until date we have no further news.

I thank all authorities who showed their support during these days and continue to support us: The Secretariat of State in Rome and the Nunciatura in Kuwait; the UAE government and its Forces; the Indian Ambassadors in Djibouti and in Abu Dhabi together with the Indian authorities back home; the Salesian Provincialat in Bangalore; many local people in Aden; finally all of you who showed your solidarity.

I express my deep gratitude to the Missionaries of Charity who payed their service to Christ with their lives. I condole with Sr. Prema, General Superior of the MC, with Sr. Rio, Regional of MC, with the family members of the victims. My gratitude goes to the MC sisters who continue their mission in Yemen as far as it is physically possible. I am deeply convinced that the sacrifice of the four martyrs and their collaborators will bear fruit although we may not see it immediately.

Let us pray for Fr. Tom who is still missing, for the Sisters who are working in other places of Yemen and for the whole people of Yemen. May the intercession of the Queen of Peace lead to a lasting peace in justice for the country and for the whole region.

+ Paul Hinder OFM Cap

Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia