Posted on 06/07/2002 8:34:28 AM PDT by Siobhan
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- A third-century Christian shrine in the small West Bank village of Aboud was destroyed May 31 by Israeli explosives.
The Israeli army said it was searching for terrorist suspects and did not know that the cave where the shrine is located was a holy place.
Father Aziz Halaweh, parish priest in Aboud, said Israeli soldiers approached the cave, located on a hill some 550 yards away from the old center of the village, late May 31 "without warning and without explanation."
He said the cave was "destroyed completely" by the soldiers.
"We asked the soldiers why they did this, and they said they did not know it was a holy place, but that is not true, because the soldiers in this area know every house, know each place in Aboud," said Father Halaweh. "Their excuse is not accepted."
He said crosses and writings were etched into the walls of the shrine. Though the soldiers claimed they did not see the etchings and stopped once they saw them, Father Halaweh said the soldiers went in with lights and should have been able to see the crosses immediately.
He said that, although he saw the soldiers making their way to the cave, he was unable to stop them because he was too far away and could not leave the parish complex for fear the soldiers would shoot him.
"The next day we saw the destruction ... that afternoon we went in a procession to the site and prayed there. We (felt) so sad and so sorry," he said. "There are other holy places in Aboud, and we told the soldiers that if they did this to our St. Barbara shrine, they can go to our churches and the do the same without telling anyone."
Since the start of the intifada in September 2000, tanks have blocked the exits of the village, he said, and people wanting to travel to Ramallah, normally 25 minutes away, must now spend three hours reaching their destination.
In a press statement the Israeli army said soldiers in the area identified a suspicious gathering on the hill, which dispersed as soldiers arrived.
The statement said the army also found flags and pamphlets belonging to a terrorist group at the site.
The army set what it described as a "controlled explosion" after discovering that the entrance to the cave was blocked.
An army spokeswoman said the tunnel was destroyed and the cave slightly damaged by the explosion.
"There was no sign identifying the cave as a religious site, and there were suspicious figures at the site," she said. "Once it was clarified that it was a holy site, it was promised that no further activity would be conducted there."
The shrine, which belongs to the Greek Orthodox community but is venerated by all Christians of the village, marks the spot where St. Barbara was killed by her father for becoming a Christian in the third century, Father Halaweh said.
Christians of the village mark her Dec. 17 feast day every year with a procession to the cave, he said. Throughout the year, villagers go the cave to light candles as well. Near the cave are the ruins of a sixth-century monastery and church, he said.
Father Halaweh said young volunteers from the village began clearing rubble from the shrine, which villagers intend to restore as much as possible.
Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem came to pray at the site June 5.
"We will do more work here and we will rebuild the cave," said Father Halaweh. "We will also open a road to get here by car."
END
It would only be proper if they used artillery....
There was no sign identifying the cave as a religious site, and there were suspicious figures at the site
The IDF made a regrettable mistake. Homicide bombings are done on purpose. One act destroyed a statue which is regrettable. But the other destroys innocent human beings. Get some perspective.
Barak Zoher.
TONE 2
WHEN JULIANNA SAW THE BLESSED MARTYR BARBARA
DURING HER TERRIBLE TRIAL
SUFFERING FROM HER MANY WOUNDS,
HER BODY PAINFULLY TORN IN MANY PLACES,
SHE CRIED OUT WITH TEARS OF COMPASSION:
"WORD OF GOD AND LOVER OF MANKIND;
GRANT THIS DAY THAT I MAY BE HER COMPANION IN MARTYRDOM!"
SAINTS BARBARA AND JULIANNA,
YOU ARE OF THOSE WHO ALONE HAVE A TRUE VOCATION FOR RIGHTEOUS LIVING,
FOR YOU ATTACKED THE ENEMY AND GRAVELY WOUNDED HIM!
THUS YOU ARE WORTHY OF GLORIFICATION BY CHRIST GOD
FOR YOU TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT THE DESTROYING PASSIONS AND THEIR EVIL,
GIVING THE MEANS OF HEALING TO ALL THE FAITHFUL!
MOST PURE MARTYR BARBARA, WHEN THOU WAST SENTENCED TO DIE
THOU DIDST FACE SWEET DEATH WITH JOY!
THOU DIDST SWIFTLY FULFILL THE ACT OF MARTYRDOM
SLAIN BY THE HAND OF THY MOST EVIL PARENT.
THOU WAST OFFERED UP AS FRUIT TO GOD!
THEREFORE WITH THE WISE VIRGINS THOU TRULY REJOICETH
AS THOU BEHOLDEST THE LIGHT OF CHRIST, THY BRIDEGROOM!
Troparion (Tone 8)
Let us honor holy Barbara, Destroying the snares of the enemy, she escaped from them like a bird with the help of the Cross as a weapon.
Barbara was beautiful and intelligent. Her wealthy father kept her like a treasure in a tower, in Heliopolis, Egypt. One time, when her father was out of town, she ventured out of the tower and met some Christians. She immediately embraced the Christian faith. When her father found out about her faith, he beat her and turned her over to the governor of the city to be tortured. Another woman, Juliana saw her faith and took her stand for Christ with Barbara. They were both tortured and killed; Barbara by her own father. The same day, lightning struck her father's house, killing both him and the governor. She suffered in 306.
Exactly what I was just about to post.
How can you compare a shrine of a dead Saint, to the lives of innocent men, women and children.
Would it be that more Christians in this age have the same joy as she!
No they don't. There is no comparison between the former mistakenly shooting up a bunch of old material trinkets that God could care less about and the latter purposely, knowingly targeting, blowing up and killing His flesh blood and soul children.
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