Following twin bomb attacks near Besiktas football stadium in Istanbul on Saturday, 10 December, which killed 44 people, the Cardinal has sent message of sympathy to Archbishop Levon Boghos Zekiyan, Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Instanbul, and Turkish Ambassador Abdurraham Bilgic. The Cardinal says:
'I am writing to offer my sincere condolences on the tragic loss of life following the blasts at the Besiktas Stadium, in Istanbul. Once again, these atrocities have shocked the world and all who hold that respect for human life is an essential foundation for every society.
I would like to assure you that the victims, their families and the wider society are very much in my prayers. I assure you, too, of the prayers and condolences of the Catholic Community in England and Wales. We, too, mourn this loss of life. We pray for the eternal repose of all who have died.'
