Originally published at National Catholic Register
The attack took place shortly after 7 p.m. on Friday when a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia drove a black rental car into crowds at a Christmas market in the heart of Magdeburg.
The president of the German Bishops’ Conference and the local bishop of Magdeburg have expressed their shock and offered prayers after a car attack at a Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday left five people dead and more than 200 injured.
The “attack in Magdeburg leaves us speechless. The horror, grief, and sympathy are felt today by many people throughout Germany and worldwide,” Bishop Georg Bätzing said, CNA Deutsch reported.
“Our thoughts and prayers are in Magdeburg during these hours. As churches, we mourn with the relatives of the victims of this terrible attack and pray for the injured and the deceased, as well as for their relatives who now fear for their loved ones.”
Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg issued a statement immediately after the attack on Friday evening local time: “I think of those affected, their relatives, and the emergency services and include them in my prayers.”
The local bishop added, “especially in these days and before a feast where the message of
