Church and government leaders offered prayers in the aftermath of an attack in London on Wednesday afternoon.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the incident in Westminster this afternoon,” read a post on Twitter from the news page of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
“We pray tonight for the victims, their families, for all affected by this terrible attack and those who responded so bravely,” said Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster.
Details surrounding the March 22 attack in Westminster remained unclear some four hours after an attacker in a car apparently plowed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. The assailant then reportedly crashed the car and attempted to enter the Parliament building with a knife before being shot by armed police.
According to the latest reports, five people were killed, including one police officer and one man believed to be the assailant.
Seven of the injured are still in hospital in a critical condition.
A further 29 had been treated in hospital.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police confirmed officers have raided six addresses in total in London and Birmingham and made five arrests.
Nearby government buildings were placed on lockdown while authorities worked to ensure the safety of the area. Scotland Yard said the attack is being treated “as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise.”
March 22 marks the one-year anniversary of the Brussels airport bombings that left more than 30 dead and 300 injured. Those bombings were declared the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium’s history.
While details surrounding the London attack remain uncertain, religious and national leaders offered condolences and prayers.
“Please join me in praying for the people of #London, especially those killed and injured today. St. George and St. Paul, pray for us,” said Bishop James Conley of Lincoln on Twitter.
(source: Catholic News Agency)