Two Jesuit Priests Murdered In Moscow

Source: BBC News
Otto Messmer (left) and Victor Betancourt were murdered in Moscow.


We have some bad news from Russia:

The bodies of Otto Messmer, 47, leader of the Russian Jesuit order, and Ecuadorean priest Victor Betancourt, 42, were found on Tuesday night.

The door was found ajar and there were no signs of any theft from the flat in upmarket Petrovka Street.

Police said they had suffered severe head injuries and the bodies had lain undiscovered for at least a day.

The attack on Father Betancourt is believed to have happened at the end of last week as he did not turn up for mass as usual on Sunday, according to Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican's chief press spokesman.

I didn't know there were any Catholics in Russia. I hope they find the murderers and bring them to justice.

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UPDATE NOVEMBER 8, 2008
CathNews reports the following development:

Russian police have detained a suspect in the killings of two Jesuit priests brutally murdered in Moscow last week.

Russia's Investigative Committee under the Prosecutor General's Office says the 38 year old Russian citizen was detained in the capital on Thursday, Associated Press reports.
[...]
The detainee's said he had killed one of the Jesuits because of "sudden dislike, while the second murder was committed in order to remove the witness, another Jesuit who happened to visit his colleague," the investigative committee told Tass.

The Exodus of Iraqi Christians From Mosul

During the last two weeks, there has been an alarming escalation in attacks against Iraqi Christians in Mosul. If you follow this blog, this news should come as no surprise to you. I've reported the kidnapping and murder of Iraqi Christian clergymen as it has happened in Mosul:

March 2008:
Chaldean Bishop Rahho Kidnapped Then Killed In Mosul.

October 2007:
The Kidnapping of Two Syriac Catholic Priests In Mosul.

June 2007:
The Murder of Fr. Ragheed and Three Deacons.

January 2005:
Iraqi Syriac Catholic Archbishop Is Released.

As more attacks took place against churches, clergymen and ordinary citizens, more Iraqi Christian families left the city.

But nothing compares to the last two weeks where at least 11 Iraqi Christians were killed in Mosul. This was followed by extremist campaigns to drive the small community out of the city.

There has been little reaction from the local and national government about these attacks -- not that the national government ever cared about what happens outside the borders of the Green Zone.

Everyone knows the remnants of extremists groups moved operations to Mosul. This also should come as no surprise. Each time the U.S. Army cleans a city of extremists, those groups move to another city.

According to different Iraqi Web sites, more than 500 families have fled the city so far. The CNN puts the number to 900. By the end of the week, there probably won't be any living Iraqi Christian families in Mosul.

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UPDATE I - October 13, 2008
Another Iraqi Christian has been killed in Mosul today as reported by AsiaNews:

Mosul’s Christian community experienced another attack yesterday. A store owner in this northern Iraqi city was targeted in what seems to be a strategy to drive out the entire community. Oarkis Alton, a records seller, was killed at work. His cousin was also wounded in the attack which took place despite an increased police presence around churches and in Christian neighbourhoods. A corollary of all this is the increasing attention paid by Arab media both within and without Iraq to the problem.

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UPDATE II - October 13, 2008
Ankawa Online reports the cousin has died today of his wounds.

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UPDATE III - October 25, 2008
Something to share with you. Courtesy of Ankawa Online.

رسالة من مواطن عراقي الى السيد المسيح

من أرض لم تعرف السلام أناديك يا ملك السلام.. من أرض
العراق أناديك.. قد قلت (أني آت سريعا') فتعال أيها المسيح..
أني أستعجلك المجيء.. أنا أعلم أنك ستأتي في يوم الدينونة ولكن أيها المسيح أنظر عراقنا.. أن الدينونة قد بدأت عندنا.. أن أبواب الجحيم قد فتحت علينا وليس من يسدها ويقينا نارها..

أيها المسيح لماذا ندان من الآن؟ هل سيدان العالم مرة وندان نحن العراقيين مرتين؟ هل أدين شعب على هذه الأرض مرتين؟
أيها المسيح أنك يوم رأيت الأعمى يصرخ اليك طالبا' الرحمة تحننت عليه ووضعت يديك المقدستين على عينيه وأعدت اليه نور عينيه وبصره وها أن حكامنا ورعاتنا وقادتنا قد أعمتهم أطماعهم وأحقادهم وحبهم للمناصب عن رؤية أنهار الدماء الزكية التي تجري كل يوم وأشلاء الأجساد البريئة المتناثرة على الأرصفة والشوارع مخلفة ورائها قلوب مثخنة بالحزن والأسى.. فتعال أيها المسيح وتحنن علينا وضع يديك المقدستين على عيونهم وأعد لهم بصرهم وبصيرتهم..

أيها المسيح أنك يوم رأيت أرملة نايين تمشي وراء نعش أبنها الوحيد تحننت عليها ولمست النعش وأحييت أبنها ودفعته الى حضنها.. فها نحن في كل زقاق لدينا أرملة تبكي أبنا' أو أبا' أو أخا' أو زوجا'، بل أن النعوش تكاد تصبح علامة فارقة ومميزة لشوارعنا.. فتعال أيها المسيح وتحنن على نسائنا وأراملنا وأرحمهن من هذا العذاب..

أيها المسيح أنك يوم رأيت المرأة الحدباء تنوء بحملها تحننت عليها ووضعت يديك الكريمتين عليها وقلت لها (أنت في حل من دائك) فعادت مستقيمة ومجدت الله.. فتعال أيها المسيح وأرفع عنا أحمالنا وأوجاعنا التي ثقلت على أجسادنا وأرواحنا ودعنا نمجد الله كما مجدته المرأة الحدباء..

أيها المسيح أنك يوم رأيت المجنون الذي سكنته الشياطين على شاطيء مدينة جراسا وهو يجرح نفسه بالحجارة ويتعذب وقفت أمامه بكل قوة وسلطان وأمرت الشياطين بتركه فولت هاربة مذعورة وشفيته في الحال.. فها أن شياطين الدنيا كلها قد سكنت في داخلنا فأصبحنا نجرح أنفسنا ونجلب العذاب لأرواحنا.. فتعال أيها المسيح بقوتك وسلطانك وأمر الشياطين الساكنة فينا بالرحيل وأنعم علينا بسلام العقل والروح..

أيها المسيح يوم أتتك الزانية الخاطئة وأرتمت على قدميك المقدستين معترفة بخطاياها وطالبة الغفران فأنك غفرت لها خطاياها وها أن أبنائنا وأخوتنا في السجون يعترفون كل يوم بآلاف الخطايا التي لم يرتكبوها ولكن ليس من يعطيهم الغفران وما زالوا في السجون وأنينهم يملأ السماء فتعال أيها المسيح وخلصهم..

أيها المسيح يوم أتتك نازفة الدم ولمست هدب ثيابك فقد شفيت في الحال وبرأت من دائها وها نحن نأتي اليك بنزيف دمائنا ودموعنا التي لا ينضب منذ سنين طالبين منك أن تلمسنا وتشفينا وتوقف هذا النزيف الذي يستنزف حياتنا وأرواحنا وأحلامنا..

أيها المسيح أنك وقفت على قبر صديقك لعازر الميت وأمرته بقوة وسلطان بالقيام وأعدت له حياته وبهذا قهرت الموت فتعال أيها المسيح بكل سلطانك وأقهر الموت الجاثم فوق مدننا ليلا' ونهارا' يسحق أرواحنا بلا رحمة أو شفقة..

أيها المسيح لقد شفيت المرضى.. جعلت العميان يبصرون والمشلولين يمشون والبرص يطهرون والموتى يقومون فتعال الينا أيها المسيح لأنه كما هو مكتوب الجسد مريض والنفس عليلة والقلب سقيم والروح من**ر.. ليس فينا صحة بل جرح وأحباط وضربة طرية.. تعال أيها المسيح أمنحنا سلامك.. أعد لنا حياتنا التي سرقت منا.. أمنحنا فرحك الذي لا يشبه فرح العالم.. أضىء ظلامنا بنورك البهي لكي ننشد مع ملائكة السماء: ((المجد لله في العلى وعلى العراق السلام وفي العراقيين المسرة))


Source: E-mail from an Iraqi friend

Gifts of Grace, The Book

Have you ever seen Mother Mary in a dream? Have you woken and not known if something was a dream or a visitation from Mother Mary? If the answer is yes, then this book is for you.

When I was less than six years old, Mother Mary came to me in a dream. In the dream, I walked from my aunt's home to ours. I also stopped by the bakery. Mother Mary and St. Joseph were sitting on the floor of the bakery. They had big warm smiles on their faces. They seated me between them. I felt loved and protected.

This was just a dream. Over the years, I've been through dangerous and hard situations and still survived them. I think both Mother Mary and St. Joseph always look after me.

A day or two before I accepted my new job in Dallas, I had another dream -- or possibly a visitation since it felt so real. In the dream, a small statue of Mother Mary sat on the bedside table and pointed in Mark's direction. Mother Mary looked as if she was trying to deliver a message to Mark.

Then, I felt her stand next to my bed. She covered me with a black garment. After a short time, sparkling diamonds and flowers appeared on the garment, which made me happy. I'm not sure what this means. I'm taking it as a sign of a hard journey followed by great success.

After reading the book, I had a better understanding of those two dreams. I'm blessed by Mother Mary.

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Gifts of Grace