Bucharest, 17 February 2015
His Holiness TAWADROS II,
Pope and Patriarch of the Coptic Church
Your Holiness,
We have learned with sorrow and concern about the 21 Egyptian Christians belonging to the Coptic Church, killed in Libya by some militants of the “Islamic State” (ISIS) organization. This action is a further sad proof of the use of religion as a pretext to justify terrorist actions, whereby, in fact, the role of religion as a factor of spiritual and social peace is denied.
On behalf of the hierarchs, clergy and faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Church, we send our condolences to the families of those killed and to the entire Coptic Church.
We pray that such actions against innocent human beings will not be repeated, nor will religion be used in order to justify violence, but for promoting peace among peoples.
With deep compassion and brotherhood in Christ,
† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
