Turkish student confesses to murder of Italian cleric (ANSA) – Rome, February 7 – A Turkish youth reportedly linked to organised crime has confessed to killing Italian priest Andrea Santoro two days ago, according to judicial sources in the northern town of Trabzon .
The 16-year-old student was arrested early on Tuesday morning after a huge manhunt. When police found him at the home of relatives in Trabzon, he was carrying the pistol used to kill the priest .
Father Santoro, 58, was shot dead in his church in the Black Sea town while he was praying after mass on Sunday. His killer reportedly shouted "Allah is Great" before fleeing .
Turkish television network NTV identified the arrested youth as Ohuzhan Akdi and said he was linked to the trafficking of prostitutes through Trabzon .
The Italian cleric, who was born near Rome, had dedicated considerable energy in recent years to trying to help prostitutes brought to Turkey from former Soviet republics .
After confessing to the murder, Akdi said that he had been enraged by the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in the European press, NTV reported . [Source]
Update:
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI said Monday that he hoped the blood shed by a Roman Catholic priest slain in Turkey over the weekend would become the "seeds of hope" to build a lasting fraternity between peoples.
Benedict sent telegrams of condolences to church authorities in Italy and Turkey following the killing Sunday of the Rev. Andrea Santoro, 60, who was shot as he prayed in his church in the Black Sea port city of Trabzon, where he was the parish priest for a small Christian community. [Source]
6 comments
Not to condone in any way this stupid, senseless murder, but by the grace of God, this priest died while praying after saying Mass. I hope this means that God will welcome his soul directly to heaven or, at the least, that his stay in purgatory will be brief. He will be in my prayers, as will the twisted young man who committed this crime.
Here are Fr. Andrea’s words 2 months ago: �I am convinced that in the end there are no two ways, only one way that leads to light through darkness, to life through the bitterness of death. Only by offering one�s flesh is salvation possible. The evil that stalks the world must be borne and pain must be shared till the end in one�s own flesh as Jesus did.�
Read the Chiesa article.
So, the kid hears about the “offensive” cartoons, grabs a gun and runs at shoots… the cartoonists? No. The editors? No.
He shoots a priest who was impeding a criminal enterprise of which the kid is a part.
And blames the cartoons? I don’t buy it.
Argent…
Thank you for posting Fr. Andrea’s words. They are words of a saint. If a man like that has to do time in purgatory, I’m in for it big time.
Pope Benedict XVI said Monday that he hoped the blood shed by a Roman Catholic priest slain in Turkey over the weekend would become the “seeds of hope” to build a lasting fraternity between peoples.
In other news, Grand Chief Ayatollah Al-Freakstani said Tuesday from his cave that he hoped the blood shed by peaceful muslim protestors in demonstrations across the muslim world over the weekend would become the “seeds of hate” to build a lasting victory over the evil crusader sons of pigs and monkeys.
Purgatory is a ‘state’. There is no such thing as ‘time’ in purgatory (just a friendly recap).
Under Turkish law, what Fr. Andrea was doing is considered criminal (by having Christian literature around). Because it falls under the ‘missionary’ laws of Turkey, ie, forbidding missionary work.
So the missal and Sunday bulletin may aid this Muslim kid in his trial.
In the end, I hope Turkey takes down their anti-Christian laws and we’ll see a true flowering of Christianity in Turkey.