Four Missionaries of Charity murdered by militants in Yemen “are the martyrs of today”, Pope Francis has said. After reciting the Angelus with pilgrims in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis offered his condolences to the Missionaries of Charity and prayed that Blessed Teresa of Calcutta would “accompany to paradise these daughters of hers, martyrs of charity, and that she would intercede for peace and a sacred respect for human life”. The four Missionaries of Charity and 12 other people were killed by uniformed gunmen, who entered the home the Sisters operated for the elderly and disabled in Aden. The superior of the Missionaries of Charity at the home survived by hiding, according to the Vatican’s Fides news agency. Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian Salesian priest who had been living at the home since his parish in Aden was sacked and burned in September, was missing after the attack. Although the attack would not make headlines worldwide, Pope Francis said, the martyred Sisters “gave their blood for the Church”. The Sisters and the 14 others killed “are victims of the attack by those who killed them, but also [victims] of indifference, this globalisation of indifference that just doesn’t care”, the Pope said. Yemen has been in crisis since 2011 and is often described as being in a state of civil war, with Shia and Sunni vying for power. In the midst of conflict, terrorist groups have been operating in the country, including groups associated with ISIS and al-Qaeda. Most Christians have fled the country, but a handful of Salesian priests and about 20 Missionaries of Charity chose to stay. In a condolence message released by the Vatican, Pope Francis described the Aden murders as an “act of senseless and diabolical violence”. The Pope “prays that this pointless slaughter will awaken consciences, lead to a change of heart, and inspire all parties to lay down their arms and take up the path of dialogue,” the message said. “In the name of God, the Pope calls upon all parties in the present conflict to renounce violence and to renew their commitment to the people of Yemen.” Bishop Paul Hinder, head of the vicariate of Southern Arabia, told AsiaNews that the gunmen specifically sought out the Sisters and then opened fire. Two of the Sisters killed were Rwandan, one was from India and one was from Kenya, the bishop said. Fr Uzhunnalil apparently was kidnapped, he added. “The signal was clear: This has to do with religion.”