The Kaya bishop described it as a “tragedy of an unprecedented scale in our region, and indeed in the whole of Burkina Faso, since the terrorist attacks began” in 2015.
In a release August 27, the bishop expressed his spiritual closeness with the affected families, and urged them not to despair, but turn to the God of Mercy for help.
“We are all well aware that what is happening to us is the consequence of intolerance, of our rejection of God’s law of love, of our injustices, of our complicity with evil and with wrongdoers,” Bishop Théophile Nare said.
“None of this can be justified in any way,” he added.
“Therefore, while I offer you my encouragement, I would also like to exhort you to penitence and conversion so that the God of Mercy may give us the healing and consolation that we expect from Him,” the bishop said.
The attack has solicited reactions from across the globe. The Bishop of Nimes in France wrote in a condolence letter to his colleague of Kaya said he was saddened by the news of the “tragic massacre.”
“We are at a loss for words to express our dismay and deep sadness. We stand at your side, yours and that of all the people of Burkina Faso,” wrote Bishop Nicolas Brouwet.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Gutterrez has roundly condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the victims.
“The Secretary-General expresses his solidarity with the transition authorities in their fight against terrorism and calls on them to ensure that those responsible for these despicable acts are held to account”, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on behalf of the Secretary General.
In his August 27 release, Nare declared August 28 a Diocesan Day of Mourning for what he called “our martyrs.”
“We cannot fail to weep for our dead, as Holy Scripture exhorts us to do: ‘My son, pour out your tears for the dead… weep bitterly, cry out your grief, observe mourning as the dead deserve’ (Si 38:16-17),” the bishop writes.
“With this brief message, I therefore urge you to observe Wednesday 28 August as a diocesan day of mourning for our martyrs, whether they are Christians (there are already 22 Christians that the community of Barsalgho has buried) or of other religious affiliations,” Nare said.
The bishop also announced Triduum of prayer – including Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and a community rosary – from August 29-31 “to implore the grace of the conversion of creatures and for reparation for all the attacks on human life, all the innocent blood spilt like water by mankind.”
He underscored the need for the Church to speak out when such tragedy strikes, noting that “we cannot remain silent and prostrate for long before the immense tragedy of Barsalgho.”
“We need to speak out (to God and among ourselves) and take action so that, with God’s help, there can be no more the cry of “never that again,” Nare said.
Groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State began their murderous campaign in Burkina Faso in 2015. Thousands of people have been killed as a result, with 2023 alone recording over 7,000 deaths, and the displacement of more than two million people.
The latest attacks further highlight the worsening security situation in the Sahelian country, with no end in sight.