nce again this year, as 2007 comes to an end, Fides has drawn up a list of the names of pastoral workers killed during the past 12 months. As far as we know the total number of Catholic priests, men and women religious and seminarians killed during 2007 was 21, three less than last year and four less than two years ago.
In recent years our list has included not only the names of missionaries ad gentes in the strict sense, but all pastoral workers who died a violent death, sacrificing their lives, aware of the risk they were taking preferring to remain at their post, rather than give up their commitment to Christian witness and charity. “Charitable social commitment must never be separated from the courageous proclamation of the faith… charity and the proclamation of faith always go hand in hand. ” Pope Benedict XVI recalled as he reflected on the figure of Saint Stephen (General Audience 10 January 2007).
We choose not to refer to these persons as “martyrs”, since it is up to the Church to judge their possible merits, and also because of the scarcity of available information in most of cases, with regard to their life and even the circumstances of their death. We wish simply to remember them and to ask everyone to pray for them that they may rest in peace. Each in their own way, and in different parts of the world, gave their life to further the growth of the Church.
As Pope Benedict XVI recently recalled, “If loving Christ and one's brethren is not to be considered as something incidental and superficial but, rather, the true and ultimate purpose of our whole existence, it will be necessary to know how to make basic choices, to be prepared to make radical renouncements, if necessary even to the point of martyrdom. Today, as yesterday, Christian life demands the courage to go against the tide, to love like Jesus, who even went so far as to sacrifice himself on the Cross.” (pastoral visit to Velletri, 23 September 2007).
Each of these pastoral workers without a doubt made a radical decision: to be witnesses of God's Love often in situations of violence, degradation, material and spiritual poverty, total disrespect for the dignity and rights of the human person. This year again the bodies of some of these persons were not found until hours or days later, victims - apparently - of those acts of aggression, robbery, theft to which the people whom they served were indiscriminately subject and which are continually denounced by the voice of the local Church and the local Catholic Bishops' Conferences. This was the case of ninety-year-old missionary Fr. Mario Bianco, who died in Manizales (Colombia) of the consequences of an attack by bandits searching for money and objects of value.
Charitable social commitment must never be separated from the courageous proclamation of the faith… charity and the proclamation of faith always go hand in hand. ”
Pope Benedict XVI
And the same was true of Fr. Fernando Sanchez Duran, a parish priest in the Mexico City area known for his work with young drug addicts, abducted and murdered, and with him the parish motor vehicle, television set and a computer also disappeared. Another missionary Fr Ricardo Junious, found dead inside the parish priest's house with his hands and feet tied, had been strangled and there were evident signs of torture. Deeply appreciated for his missionary work, his pastoral zeal and assistance to the poor, he was also committed to eradicating drug trafficking and the sale of alcohol to minors.
We remember also South African Fr. Allard Msheyene, a member of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (OMI), killed by car-jackers. Car-jacking in South Africa is widespread with more than 12,000 cases every year, although in recent years since a peak 16,000 in 1998 they have diminished slightly in number. Another example of altruism and generosity was Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith, Jesuit Refugee Service coordinator in the Mannar district of Sri Lanka, killed in a bomb explosion on the road the priest was
traveling to bring assistance to people at a refugee camp and an orphanage in Vidathalvu.
How can we forget, Sr Anne Thole the only woman religious who died a violent death in 2007. She was not murdered, she sacrificed her life to save the lives of others. After pulling five AIDS patients from the fire which was devouring the poor structure in which they were
hospitalized, Sr Anne went back to fetch three more, but the ceiling collapsed and she was killed. “We can still save the others” were her last words as she walked into the flames.
(From Fides Service)