Christian leaders around the world and communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have voiced strong reactions following the deadly machete attack on worshippers in Komanda.
The assault took place during a night vigil at a Catholic church on July 27, when militants from the Allied Democratic Forces, linked to Islamic State, killed around 43 to 49 people worshipping—among them women and children.
Nearby homes and shops were also burned, and several villagers kidnapped (foxnews.com).
In Rome, Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy. Delivered by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the message conveyed the Pope’s spiritual solidarity with grieving families and the national Catholic community.
He imparted his apostolic blessing to the victims and called on all to pursue full human development of those impacted in the region (vaticannews.va).
On the ground, Congolese Church leaders described the massacre as an assault on faith.
They called on national authorities for urgent protection of worshippers and religious gatherings.
Community priests and church networks organized funerals and steady prayers, urging concrete government response in Eastern DRC to prevent future killings (catholicreview.org, opendoorsuk.org).
International Christian relief groups, such as Open Doors and the Orthodox Public Affairs Committee, expressed distress over the violence, urging the global Church to support survivors and press governments to act.
They described the attack as part of a broader wave of targeted violence against Christians in eastern Congo and called for urgent humanitarian and security efforts.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission MONUSCO also condemned the killings, warning that places of worship should never become targets in conflict.