Pope Leo XIV and World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Jerry Pillay have expressed sorrow and horror over an attack on a Catholic church in Komanda, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Islamic State-backed rebels belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked a Catholic church in Komanda, in the Ituri province, killing over 40 people on July 27. "The burning of homes and shops surrounding the church further underscores the senseless destruction and trauma inflicted on the local community." Pope Leo expressed his "deep sorrow" over the deadly attack on the church in the eastern part of the DRC.