Murad, the Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Homs, told SciNews about his escape after being kidnapped by jihadists in 2015 and imprisoned for five months. In addition, he talks about the testimonies of the Jesuits Fr. van der Lugt and Fr. Dalloulio.
(Vatican News Network) The Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Jacques Mourad (Jacques Mourad), recently accepted an interview with this news network, describing his almost fatal experience in 2015. In addition, referring to the Jesuit priests Frans Van der Lugt and Paolo Dall’Oglio, Archbishop Murad pointed out that the former is a sign of loyalty to Jesus Christ for all Syrians. the example of the latter; the latter is a martyr for life, for he lives forever in the memory of the Church.
Archbishop Murad first recounted his near-fatal ordeal in 2015. Murad, then a priest, was kidnapped in Syria and held by jihadists calling themselves the Islamic State. His guards said to him: “You can either be converted or be beheaded.” Archbishop Murad said: “At that time, I was indeed faced with this alternative: one option was to continue to bear the cross, for Love for the Church and salvation for the world, with Christ until death; the other option is to forsake my vocation.” Then he gained the unwavering faith to carry on bearing the cross, and for those who imprisoned him For the sake of.
“The grace I received in that experience was to look upon these jihadists with a spirit of prayer, to ask God to enlighten their hearts and make them repent,” said the archbishop. “Not just for myself, but for their salvation. Peace with the world.” Imprisoned Fr. Murad once again trusted God wholeheartedly, thus “freedom from every fear”. He said: “When we face death, a certain fear enters the depths of our soul. Whenever I feel this fear, I say the Rosary, and the fear disappears and becomes courage. “
Archbishop Murad now counts that experience as a blessing. He noted that the grace began shortly before sunset on the eighth day of captivity. On that day, the governor of Raqqa came to inspect, and Father Murad did not know at the moment that the man was the leader of the organization calling itself the Islamic State. Archbishop Murad said: “I asked him then: ‘Why are we locked up, what evil did we do to be locked up?’ The Islamist leader replied: ‘You take this time as a retreat. ’ His answer shook me for the rest of my life.”
The archbishop said he never expected such an answer from the extremist leader of a bloodied group. Again, for a disciple of Christ there is no enemy. “Even if there are enemies, we are invited to love them. How can you love an enemy who wants to kill you, an enemy who you want to kill? Here is the mystery of the love of Christ, Christ on the cross It is clearly revealed by saying: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34)” After five months of imprisonment, with the help of a Muslim youth, Father Murad and about 15 others managed to escape.
A year before Fr Murad was kidnapped, Dutch Jesuit Fr van der Lugt was murdered in the gardens of the convent in Homs. Archbishop Murad: “Fr. van der Lugt is an example for me and for all Syrians of loyalty to his Master Jesus Christ. He devoted his life to love Syria and the Syrian people.” Fr van der Lugt His example is that of the incarnate Christ who brought the Father’s message of love to all. “True salvation comes only through love and self-sacrifice”.
Another Jesuit, Father Dallolio, has not been heard from since 2013. Archbishop Murad and Father Dallolio lived together for almost 30 years and together they renovated the monastery. “For me,” said the archbishop, “Father Dallolio is a martyr of life. Whether he is dead or alive, he is a real martyr of life. A martyr lives forever in the memory of the Church, in the Church. and the hearts of the people of God.”
Father Dallolio has supported many people, and people from all over the world come to him for help. Archbishop Murad concludes with humor: “If we collected the messages and letters sent and received by Father Dallolio, we might be able to make an encyclopedia.” He always gave for everyone, for the weakest and the important , for the uneducated and the learned, for believers and anyone else.
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2023-08-11 10:13:06
