The Interfaith Relations Committee of the Catholic Bishops of Aotearoa New Zealand has sent a letter of support to the country’s Muslim communities on the second anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque atrocity.

“In a spirit of peace and prayer we reach out at this time to those who live in this land, and especially the Muslim community of New Zealand,” says the letter, signed by the committee chair, Colin MacLeod, who is also the director of the Church’s National Centre for Religious Studies.

“We give thanks for the diversity of deeply held religious beliefs which draw people to embrace one another with compassion, healing, and hope.

“While many may hold that religious beliefs are the cause of violence, we know from our rich relationships with those of many faiths, that the choice to cause harm to others is grounded not in the divine but in other attitudes such as selfishness or fear.

“We pray to our loving God, that all violence may cease, and that diversity of faith may be seen as opportunity for dialogue through which all may be blessed.”

Fifty-one worshippers died and many more were wounded when a gunman opened fire in attacks on the Masjid Al-Noor and Linwood mosques two years ago today.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a 28-year-old man from Grafton, New South Wales, Australia, was arrested shortly afterward. He was described in media reports as a “white supremacist.” He live-streamed the first attack on social media. Prior to the attack, he had published an online manifesto; both the video and manifesto were subsequently banned in New Zealand and Australia.

The statement cited the words of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, in the Document on Human Fraternity, the statement concludes with a reminder to all that “faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved.”

The committee’s letter has been sent to various parties, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters. Click here for a PDF copy of the letter.