As South Africa buried its first black president, Catholic archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga told a mass attended by around 1,500 people that Christians should not respond to violence with violence.
"Many Christians have said that they are going to seek revenge," said Nzapalainga as he delivered his sermon in Bangui a day after a Muslim motorcyclist was hacked to death to death in the capital, where residents later brandished his cut-off hands.
Violence between Christians and Muslims has been on the rise since a March coup by the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel group overthrew the president and installed Michel Djotodia, but the unrest has intensified dramatically in recent weeks.
The United Nations has said 600 people have been killed in the carnage of the past 10 days, 450 of them in Bangui, prompting UN chief Ban Ki-moon and local authorities to plead for an end to the atrocities.
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Djotodia, the majority Christian nation's first Muslim president, said last day he was ready to "extend his hand" and "talk" with Christian militias on issues including an amnesty for their role in the unrest and including them in his transitional government.
"They are not enemies. They are our brothers," he said.
Thousands of Christians in Bangui went to mass today morning despite the still tense atmosphere on the streets of the capital, where French troops are trying to restore security.