Pope Francis said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was killed during a political rally yesterday.
The message is contained in a telegram sent by Vatican Foreign Minister Cardinal Pietro Parolin to Leo Boccardi, apostolic nun in Tokyo.
“Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and offers his sincere condolences to the family, friends and people of Japan. After this senseless act, he prays to Japanese society. In the document, his historical commitment to peace and nonviolence is getting stronger”.
The Pope met with Abe twice: at the Vatican on June 6, 2014, and during a trip to Japan on November 25, 2019.
The former prime minister, who has not been in power since September 2020, was shot dead while attending a candidate’s rally in tomorrow’s legislative election (10).
Abe was still recovered and hospitalized, but could not stand the bleeding from the shot and died a few hours later. Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old former soldier who carried out the attack, is in prison, but the motive for the crime is still unknown.
According to Japanese media, Yamagami even admitted to the police that he was “disappointed” with the former prime minister, but denied holding any “grudges” for political reasons.
source: Noticias
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