Posted on 07/27/2016 11:53:52 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
NEW YORK (ChurchMilitant.com) - Following news of the murder of a French priest by ISIS militants Tuesday, an editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal is announcing his conversion to the Catholic faith.
In a tweet posted Tuesday, Sohrab Ahmari stated "this is the right moment to announce that [he is] converting to Roman Catholicism." The message was prefaced by the hashtag #IAmJacquesHamel, referring to the 84-year-old priest murdered Tuesday morning by Islamic terrorists while celebrating morning Mass at his parish in Normandy, France.
Ahmari noted he is currently under instruction at the London Oratory, shorthand for the Brompton Oratory of St. Philip Neri, a community of priests in Westminster known for its traditional and reverent liturgy, cathechesis and music. The oratory is made up of secular clergy, or ordained ministers who live as a community but do not belong to a religious institute.
Responding to a tweet describing the oratory as "one of the best places" on earth to receive Catholic instruction, Ahmari noted the course is "extremely rigorous" but "frankly magical."
The tweet, however, was deleted Wednesday morning, replaced with the explanation: "I deleted my tweet professing my conversion, to avoid drawing Internet-crazies' attention to my church."
Based in London, the Iranian-born journalist writes editorials and serves as an op-ed editor for the Wall Street Journal's European edition. He has also contributed pieces to the Boston Globe and the New Republic, among others.
The murder of Fr. Hamel, deemed France's first martyr in the 21st century, was met with general shock and grief. In a statement released shortly after the news was reported, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said the Vatican is horrified by the news, with Pope Francis expressing "pain and horror for this absurd violence."
Those who knew Fr. Hamel were likewise greatly saddened. "He was very loved in the community and a kind man," maintained Claude-Albert Seguin, a friend of Hamel's.
"My family has lived here for 35 years and we have always known him," explained a member of Fr. Hamel's parish in Normandy. "He was someone who was treasured by the community. He was very discreet and didn't like to draw attention to himself."
Shortly following the murder, the Amaq news agency, the media wing of the ISIS operation, claimed responsibility for the attack, which involved a 40-minute standoff with police involving two nuns who had been taken hostage. French president François Hollande was quick to confirm the attack had been carried out by ISIS operatives.
Thank you for posting the article.
Praise God!
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.