Posted on 02/06/2006 4:15:18 PM PST by mware
PRIEST'S KILLING SHOCKS CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY
Feb. 06 (CWNews.com)
- A Catholic priest was shot and killed in Trabzon, Turkey, on Sunday, and authorities there are investigating whether the murder was related to Islamic anger over cartoons published in European newspapers.
Father Andrea Santoro, an Italian missionary priest who had served in Turkey for 10 years, was shot twice at point-blank range in his church in the port town on the Black Sea. The gunman shouted, "Allah is great!" before running out of the church.
Bishop Luigi Padovese of Anatolia, who rushed to the scene on hearing of the priest's death, told the AsiaNews service that the timing of the killing-- as Muslim militants around the world protest the cartoons mocking Islam-- "does not seem incidental to me." The bishop reported that the atmosphere in Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, "is heated, not to say overheated." Christian churches were under heavy security in the aftermath of the killing.
Government investigators are also considering the possibilities that the assassin was a lone fanatic or that he was connected with the thriving prostitution business in Trabzon. Father Santoro had helped many young woman escape from lives of prostitution.
AsiaNews reported that the killer's face was apparently recorded by a videocamera at a jewelry store adjacent to the church.
Pope Benedict XVI praised the slain priest for his work "in service of those marginalized and in need" in Turkey. He expressed his hope that "his blood shed may be a seed of hope for the building of authentic fraternity among people." The Pope's condolences were expressed in messages to Bishop Padovese and to Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the vicar of Father Santoro's home diocese in Rome.
In remarks to the Italian daily La Repubblica, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins said that Father Santoro stands in the long line of martyrs who have died for the faith. While the reasons for the killing are not yet clear, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints said that with the killing, "the Church is once again colored in red, the color of the blood of martyrs."
"This has always happened, and unfortunately this will happen again," said the Spanish cardinal. "Despite these tragedies, missionaries continue to proclaim the word of Christ, with the sentiments of peace, love and pardon-- pardon which ought to be given to the assassin of Father Andrea." Questioned about a possible link between the killing and Islamic hostility, Cardinal Saraiva Martins said that he wanted to be "prudent" about jumping to conclusions. In any case, he said, it would be wrong to speak of a "religious conflict," because "every faith is against war and against the misuse of the image of God."
I suspect that this is only the beginning of many more incidents like this one, and worse.
Yes, send him quickly up to that tribunal above which is the only place such pardons can be meted out...or not.
Why is anyone "surprised" by anything the violent, cruel, barbaric, backwards Islamofascists do? They're all out of control and stark raving mad.
I'm just glad that the Senate is investigating the NSA wiretapping issue. It is at times like these that we need to be certain that our privacy is not being violated an that the President is obeying the law...
Exactly.
You stated something close to what I was thinking -
"Who's surprised that a Christian priest was murdered in the middle east?" I keep forgetting logic is lost on a lot of people.
The murderer is in custody at the moment.
Again, this seems to have connection with mafia. The father of the church was working against the mafia to save the prostitutes in the region. And he did a good job probably cripling someone's job.
Let's not be paranoid at every incident.
Today a bus has crashed in Italy and 12 Turks died with 18 injured. Now what? Should we consider this as a revenge? Come on guys....
Surely you jest!
The sum of incidents and declarations from Muslim heads of state and the lunatics who routinely riot in the streets - have been sending a very clear message..
Are you not listening? Or, are you a Muslim?
Paranoid is hardly the correct word, to describe the realization that Christians, Jews and non-Muslims should consider themselves at risk in the Muslim world.
Pragmatic is the more appropriate term....
Semper Fi
ANKARA, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Turkish security forces arrested a high school student on Tuesday over the killing of an Italian Catholic priest and Turkish television said the teenager had confessed to a crime which has shocked this Muslim nation.
The student told police he was influenced by cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammad, NTV commercial television said. The report could not be immediately confirmed
Extreme prejudice at its finest. Nice generalization, create a big picture in your own mind and fix this piece into somewhere you see fit.
I am sorry but, if a youth have come up with the idea that he is a chosen one to protect a religion, or have waged war upon a religion. His little lunacy will end in the jail, and this is what is going to happen.
He might have killed the priest connected to the cartoons, but even the Catholics in Turkey suspects mafia, and knew the father have had threatenings and such before and have asked for protection the day before the incident..
So, i am very suspicious about this one being about cartoons. The pimps(and the mafia) will very nicely cover behind that of course not to get the real attention. I am not suprised, and i do not believe it....
"Extreme prejudice at its finest...."
Not at all.... the EXTREME prejudice is being practiced by Muslim lunatics in their murderous behavior against non-Muslims -- WORLDWIDE.<
Non-Muslims are just now coming to a fuller acknowledgment and understanding of Islam and the face of Islam being revealed to world by their maniacal barbarous cult "believers".
"Nice generalization, create a big picture in your own mind and fix this piece into somewhere you see fit."
There is far more evidence that any "generalization" I've made, based on Muslim violence against non Muslims WORLDWIDE -- is supported by vast amounts of empirical evidence...
Empirical evidence that Islam is a "Religion of Peace" is lacking.... Evidence to the contrary is present EVERYWHERE..
How should non-Muslims react to this?
We've been waiting to see the "Moderate" "Peaceful" Muslim show a fraction of the emotion AGAINST the murderous barbaric actions of lunatics in their midst as they show against stupid cartoons!
I wasn't arguing that the murder of this Priest was either religious or civil crime related...... My point was that no one living in Muslim lands should be surprised by Muslim violence in reacting to ANY "provocation"...
Now - answer my question HONESTLY.... Are you a Muslim?
Semper Fi
You don't know the country, you don't know the city, you don't know the region.
You have no idea about the family of the murderer, you don't know shit about the russian and turkish mafia connection in that region. You have no idea how the Father of the Church is connected to them on the opposite side.
You surely don't know shit, and simply bullshiting with making up stories on your mind.
Yes, extreme prejiduce, and all the stuff i have said my previous post.
And no, i am not a Muslim. Why did you even ask this one? Are you one of those you are with us or our enemy guys? With that mantra you even yell around freedom of speech mantra i am sure, oh the irony....
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