COVENANT SOLIDARITY, por Maria Fischer •
It’s one of those small stone churches, so typical to Normandy. They reminds me of holidays in that region, of simple, faith-filled Masses, with few but very welcoming people who share daily Mass during the week in these churches, not knowing the words but deeply understanding the universal message of sharing our faith in Jesus and opening one’s house to every stranger, to every pilgrim…
It was certainly one of these Masses on the morning of 26 July, on the feast of St. Anne and St. Joachim, which ended with a hostage situation in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and the assassination of the 84-year old parish priest, Fr. Jacques Hamel, who was substituting the parish priest during his holidays. A second victim, a woman, lies between life and death, after having also been attacked with a knife. The other three hostages were freed and are safe and sound.
Two men armed with knives burst into the church midway through Mass, assassinated the priest, and took two nuns and two lay people hostage. Soon after, the attackers were killed by the French police, who were called to the scene by another nun who managed to escape.
Pope Francis: pain, horror, solidarity
Pope Francis expressed his “pain and horror” after the assassination.
“The Pope has been informed and shares the pain and horror caused by this absurd violence. He condemns in the most absolute terms every form of hatred and prays for the people who have been affected,” stated the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi. The Pope also expressed his “spiritual closeness” to the Church in France, especially the Rouen Archdiocese, to which the Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray belongs. Fr. Lombardi admitted that they are “troubled” after the hostage situation, which comes after a series of attacks carried out over the last few days.
“It is terrible news, which unfortunately adds to a chain of violence that, in the last few days, has troubled us, creating immense pain and giving rise to real concern,” the note goes on to say.
On this occasion, the Holy See feels “particularly shocked” because it is an attack against a church, “a holy place in which God’s love is announced.”
At the service of the Church
Fr. Hamel retired ten years ago, but had decided to remain in the parish where he had been parish priest. “His desire was to remain at the service of the Church,” explained Fr. Moande-Phuati, who described the deceased priest as a “warm, simple person who lived modestly” and was “greatly appreciated” by the parishioners.
There is nothing left to do but to pray. Really pray.
Once again, lighting my covenant solidarity candle in my home shrine, I make a new prayer:
Fr. Jacques Hamel, assassinated during Holy Mass, pray for this world, pray for all the victims of the attacks of the last few days, pray for us.”
#prayforpeace, #PrayForSaintEtienneDuRouvray
Original: Spanish. Translation: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, Cape Town, South Africa
