Posted on 08/17/2005 7:05:54 AM PDT by bd476
TAIZE, France — Brother Roger, the 90-year-old founder of an ecumenical religious community dedicated to peace and reconciliation, was knifed to death by a woman at an evening prayer service attended by 2,500 people, authorities said.
The slaying was deplored Wednesday by the pope and the head of the Anglican Church, who called the slain monk "one of the best-loved Christian leaders of our time."
< Snip >
A Romanian woman wielding a knife killed silver-haired Brother Roger, witnesses said. A community spokesman, Brother Emile, said the monk's throat was cut and he died 15 minutes later.
< Snip >
Brother Roger, a Swiss Protestant, founded the Taizé religious community in 1940, emphasizing the need for all Christians to come together in peace, love and reconciliation.
The Taizé ecumenical community, which is near Macon, 240 miles southeast of Paris, draws tens of thousands of Christian youths from around the world each year for prayer and meditation.
Pope Benedict XVI said he had received a "very moving and very friendly letter" just Tuesday from Brother Roger. Benedict spoke of the "very sad and terrifying news."
"This is an indescribable shock," said Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams (search), spiritual leader of the Church of England. "Brother Roger was one of the best-loved Christian leaders of our time and hundreds of thousands will be feeling his loss very personally, and remembering him in prayer and gratitude."
President Jacques Chirac praised Brother Roger as "one of the most remarkable servants of the values of respect and tolerance," while German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he regarded Brother Roger as one of the "great contemporary personalities of religious life."
Schroeder praised him for sheltering Jewish refugees during World War II" ... fostering reconciliation ..."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
OMG! He was such a GOOD man.
In my opinion, these ecuminical movements like Taize are very harmful to the real truth of the gospel. Of course we should be respectful and tolerant of other religions, and divisions within our own. But that shouldn't translate into reducing Chirstian faith, or all faith, into the lowest common denominator. Don't think, just feel. It might sound appealing, but it leaves you pretty stupid.
I assume whatever Church you belong to has 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. Our devotion to Christ makes us brothers, and to strive for family unity is a good thing.
Yes, I agree that unity is a good thing. But not at the expense of truth. There always have been and always will be false teachers in the church. It is dangerous to just pretend that this isn't so. And the type of mantra worship taught at Taize is not Scriptural. No amount of good feelings will change that.
(AGI) - Vatican City, Aug 16 - Frere Roger was one of the most authoritative members of the Christian religious community. In 1940 he reached Taize', close to Cluny, with the aim of establishing a religious community there; at the time he was 25 and protestant.
He was a theology graduate, and dedicated his whole existence to the reconciliation of different Christian faiths. He wrote numerous works on prayer and meditation, in which he urged the youth to trust and work in society, in 1988 he was given the UNESCO prize for Education and Peace; and thanks to his works there are now tens of thousands of youths who every year reach Taize' looking for inspiration for prayer and reflection on the spirit.
Radio Vaticana broadcasted a biography of the priest. Born 90 years ago in Provence, Switzerland, Roger Schutz was a young protestant shepherd when he reached Bourgogne in 1940.
In the remote village he bought an old home to offer shelter to victims of persecution, to the poor, to the oppressed by the madness of war which was current in Europe at the time.
Forced to flee in 1942 by the Gestapo, Frere Roger returned to Taize' in 1944; then there was finally peace, Europe had to be reconciled, and as the prior himself reminded: "We were in troubled times. Taize' was born 5 years before. Many ask themselves: what will become of Europe? The Christian's faith is being rocked. They can do more than they imagine, because they feed off of the body of Christ, i.e. from the reconciliation sources in view of peace for the whole human family".
In Taize' Catholics and Protestants wear the same white frock, and share the same common life. Some went on missions, to bring peace and charity in the poorest parts of South and North America, Asia and Africa". (AGI)
FRERE ROGER OF TAIZE': SPOKE OF PEACE IN SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
He was also a friend of Mother Teresa. He lived a very good life helping many.
Thanks for your work here on the updates. This is such sad news and so very upsetting. Slain in front of young people.
Thanks.
Prayers for Brother Roger and all of his relatives.
This "mantra worship" is the style of worship that existed in all Christian Churches for hundreds of years. Even if you believe it is unscriptural, it obviously never harmed the truth or we would not have believers today.
This is the point, in fact. The style of worship is a minor thing that keeps us seperated. It isn't vital to our salvation and the message of Christ.
The early Church dealt with more heresies and false teachings than you can imagine. They decided what was important and formalized them. No where did they mention "style of worship" as being detrimental to the Salvation experience.
That being the case, I will follow Paul's advice and not say "I follow the Assemblies of God" as a means to seperate myself from you, but will say "I follow Christ" to solidify my bond with you.
Thanks Salvation.
Thanks for that reference. An interesting paragraph there about the reception of Communion.
I could also see what I thought was a tabernacle in back of the altar, but did I miss the crucifix somewhere?
Thank you for your thoughtful comments here. They are much appreciated.
She slit his throat. Familiar MO?
Would you think oujia board worship was fine and figure it was just a different style?
Contemporary Christian Divination
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.” (2Timothy 4:2-4)
OK, what is it exactly that you are referring to. And please be precise. Also, please be precise in your scriptural refutation of the same practice that you are referring to.
I want to be sure that we are speaking about the same things.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.