Pope Francis denounced Wednesday, December 2 "
the horrors
" of Boko Haram in Nigeria, where at least 76 farmers were massacred on Saturday, believing that this terrorist act "
offends
" the name of God.
Read also: At least 43 farmers killed by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria, election day
"
I want to pray for Nigeria, unfortunately still bloodied by a terrorist drama
", declared the sovereign pontiff at the end of his general audience on Wednesday, referring to citizens "
brutally killed
".
"
May God (...) convert the hearts of those who commit such horrors gravely offending his name
", he added.
At least 76 farmers working in rice fields were murdered on Saturday in northeast Nigeria by dozens of gunmen.
The Boko Haram group, which claimed responsibility for the massacre in a video on Monday, claims to have launched the attack to avenge some of its fighters arrested and handed over by villagers to the authorities.
North-eastern Nigeria has been plagued by the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009. The conflict has left more than 36,000 dead and forced two million people to flee their homes.
On Wednesday, the Pope also cited as an example four missionary sisters who "
were kidnapped, raped and murdered
" forty years ago, on December 2, 1980, by a paramilitary group in El Salvador, in the midst of civil war.
“
At great risk, they carried food and medicine to displaced people and helped the poorest families
,” recalled François, who praised their “
great generosity
”.