The World Council of Churches expresses its solidarity with the churches and people of France, and its condolences to the families of the victims, as they mourn the lives lost in the latest extremist attacks, including the attack in Nice today in which three people were reported killed in the city’s Notre-Dame basilica. Following the horrific killing of teacher Samuel Paty earlier this month, these atrocities demand a renewed search for an effective response to the phenomenon of violent religious extremism, not only in France, but in the many countries around the world that continue to be afflicted by it each day. There can be no legitimate religious justification for this brutality, and any and all attempts to justify such attacks on religious grounds must be categorically denounced. We are grateful for the cooperation of our inter-religious partners – including through the Higher Committee on Human Fraternity – in pursuing this shared conviction.