[Anglican Communion News Service] The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion has asked for Communion-wide prayer following the suicide attack on a church in Pakistan that left than 78 dead and more than 100 injured.

In a letter to the Anglican Communion’s Primates — its most senior bishops — Canon Kenneth Kearon wrote, “Messages of condolences have been coming in from around the Communion, and I write to ask you to consider requesting your parishes and dioceses to remember in prayer those who died or were bereaved and those who were injured or live in fear because of the tragedy.”

This call comes following an attack on All Saint’s Church, Peshawar, that has been labelled the worst assault on the country’s Christian minority in many years.

Already leaders from around the Anglican world have expressed their shock and sorrow at the incident. Today leaders from countries including India and Tanzania wrote to Peshawar Diocese Bishop Humphrey Peters and Moderator of the Church of Pakistan, Bishop Samuel Azariah to assure them of their prayers and support.

Canon Kearon proposed that churches around the world prayed for Pakistan this coming Sunday, the 29 September.

Those who do pray for the country, will no doubt also remember those affected by today’s powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that reports say has killed at least 30 people in a remote area of south-west Pakistan.