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“We deeply regret the loss of life and the many injuries inflicted by the assailant, and we wish to convey to you and to all the Swedish people our profoundest sympathy,” Pillay wrote. “As we mourn those whose lives were lost, we also grieve with their families, friends, and colleagues.”
He expressed sympathy for all those in the Orebro community affected by this tragedy.
“We in the WCC have had, for so many decades, such a shared commitment in faith and such a close working relationship in service with the church and people of Sweden that our hearts are touched,” he wrote. “Likewise, we are so grateful to you and to the whole Church of Sweden, the Uniting Church of Sweden, the Christian Council of Sweden and its local churches as you reach out in solidarity to console the bereaved, support the local community, and address the deep trauma visited upon the whole of Sweden by this event.”
Pillay’s letter concluded: “As Christians we find that compassionate love embodied in Jesus’ life, confirmed in his resurrection, and bequeathed to us through the gift of his Spirit. So, despite this tragedy, we lift our heads and commit ourselves to continue walking and working in solidarity with you each day to realize God’s reign of justice, peace, and reconciliation in Sweden and around the world.”
