Priest's throat slit as hostage-takers storm French church

[cappie]

A priest who was taken hostage by two armed men with knives at a church in northern France has been killed, a police source says.

It appeared the priest's throat was slit, the source told the Reuters news agency.

The knife men launched their assault by taking five people hostage inside the church in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, south of Rouen.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls branded the attack "barbaric".

"The whole of France and all Catholics are wounded. We will stand together," he wrote on Twitter.

The archbishop of Rouen, Dominique Lebrun, urged all non-believers to join those of the church in "calling to God". and said it was a blow to all Catholics and the whole of France.

"The Catholic Church can take up no other weapons that prayer and fraternity between men," he said in a statement.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-26/hostage-killed-as-french-church-siege-ends:-reports/7663000

[Guest]

Prayer

[cappie]

 

Statement by Archbishop of Rouen in response to killing of Fr Hamel

From Krakow, I have learned about the killings this morning in the Church of Saint-Etienne du Rouvray. There were three victims: the priest (84 yrs old) Fr Jacques Hamel and the two authors of the assassination. Three other people were injured – one of them very seriously. I call out to God, with all people of good will. I dare to invite non-believers to unite in this call! With the youth of the World Youth Days, we pray in the same manner as we prayed around the tomb of Father Popiełuszko in Warsaw – assassinated under the communist regime.

The Vicar General, Fr Philippe Maheut arrived at the scene very soon after this incident. This evening I will be in my diocese around the families and the parish community who are all very shocked. The only weapons which the Catholic Church can take up are prayer and fraternity among peoples. I return home leaving hundreds of young people who are the future of humanity, the truth. I ask them not to give up in the face of violence but to become apostles of the civilization of love.

+Dominque Lebrun

Archbishop of Rouen

26 July 2016

[DominicanHeart]

You beat me to posting it

[Anomaly]

A very sad and horrible tragedy.   I have hopeful confidence that most Catholics will respond with prayer and fraternity as is befitting a more enlightened response to differences and offenses. 

[CatherineM]

How much resistance did they think they'd get from a 80 year old priest?  

[NadaTeTurbe]

This is so horrible, I don't want to live in this country anymore. Since 2015, it feels like we're living in a nightmare. And I don't want to stand with Manuel Valls. 

http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2016/07/26/01016-20160726ARTFIG00151-qui-etait-le-pere-jacques-hamel-egorge-dans-son-eglise-pres-de-rouen.php 

Short : Father Jacques Hamel was 86 years old. He was a good man, loved by all. He was part of an inter-religious group, and good friend with the local iman. He said he wanted to work untild his last breath. In a pastoral letter from june 2016 he wrote : "May we hear God's invitation to take care of this world, to make it a world more welcoming, more humane, more fraternal" 

[NadaTeTurbe]

Today first reading feel very real : 

Let my eyes stream with tears
day and night, without rest,
Over the great destruction which overwhelms
the virgin daughter of my people,
over her incurable wound.
If I walk out into the field,
look! those slain by the sword;
If I enter the city,
look! those consumed by hunger.
Even the prophet and the priest
forage in a land they know not.

(...)

We wait for peace, to no avail;
for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
 

[DominicanHeart]

Father forgive them

[little2add]

2 hours ago, DominicanHeart said:

Father forgive them

For they know not what they do...

[Archaeology cat]

May he rest in peace. I pray for his attackers as well

 

[CatherineM]

A priest told me once that he hoped to go in his sleep or while saying mass. I think he was thinking about by heart attack not beheading.  There have been way too many martyrs lately. My Dad used to say that challenges were God's way of strengthening our spiritual muscles to endure what was coming. Makes me wonder what is coming if we need this much martyr's blood to strengthen the Church ahead of it. 

[Guest]

If people like this don't go to hell then who does?

55 minutes ago, little2add said:

For they know not what they do...

Giving them way to much credit. 

3 hours ago, DominicanHeart said:

Father forgive them

Why should God forgive them if they don't repent?

Edited July 26, 2016 by Guest

[LittleWaySoul]

50 minutes ago, Josh said:

Why should God forgive them if they don't repent?

We don't know His ways; His mercy is endless. 

If Christ can pray those same words for the men who crucified Him, we can pray them for these men too. We are right to follow in His footsteps by praying for those who persecute us. 

[DominicanHeart]

1 hour ago, LittleWaySoul said:

We don't know His ways; His mercy is endless. 

If Christ can pray those same words for the men who crucified Him, we can pray them for these men too. We are right to follow in His footsteps by praying for those who persecute us. 

Exactly. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.  That was what He said and He gave us the prime example