Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Des hommes et des dieux
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I very much want to see this film.
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Trappist monk who survived Algeria massacre prays for conversion of assassins...
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Madrid, Spain, Jan 17, 2011 / 05:01 pm (CNA).- Brother Jean Pierre Schumacher is one of two monks who escaped death in the massacre of Thibirine, Algeria in 1996. Since then, he has not ceased praying for the conversion of the Muslim extremists who killed seven members of his community.
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The Trappist monk granted an interview to the Spanish weekly Alfa y Omega following the debut of the film “Of Gods and Men,” runner-up at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. The film recounts the last three years of the French Trappist monks at Thibirine, who were kidnapped and beheaded by members of the Armed Islamic Group.
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Brother Schumacher, who today lives at a Trappist monastery in Morocco, escaped death because the kidnappers did not see him.
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The Trappist monk emphasized that Algeria had strong “relations between Christians and Muslims.” He noted that in the world today, if there is conflict in between cultures and religions, “it is because we don't know each other well enough. When we mutually know each other, we are like brothers,” he said. - CNA
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The monks' words and witness contradict many of our own attitudes today, proving that God's ways are not men's ways.
This is going to make me do some soul searching on my own thinking. It is sometimes hard to love other people but we must.
ReplyDeleteRick
If you can and haven't already, it may be worth watching The Great Silence as well.
ReplyDeleteBe forewarned, though; unlike Of Gods and Men, The Great Silence is a documentary and makes a greater than usual demand on the viewer's attention!
i feel asleep both times I tried to watch into great silence... but it was a peaceful sleep.
ReplyDeleteWhen we can extend forgiveness to someone in the aftermath of an unspeakable fall from grace, I believe we have come as close as can to union with Christ. I think of the Amish in the wake of the Nickel Mines shootings some years ago.
ReplyDeleteHe forgave His torturers from the cross, so how can we do any less?
I would like to see this film, but I wish I knew the name of the documentary that ran on EWTN a few weeks back on a Benedictine monastery in France. It was excellent. And I caught a glimpse of another documentary on a German monastery and heard one of the monks describing how he was called. He said: "I was searching for a bride, and then I realized that Christ was asking me to be wedded to Him." It gave me goosebumps. I liked "Into Great Silence" but I don't know if I could watch it again. Anyone know of a good documentary on a cloistered women's community?
Fantastic film. Very beautiful scenes. I invite to you to see the video I made about them. (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/5749821/martires_de_tibhirine/) The pictures that a Spanish Trappist monk, living with surviving brother in the community of Atlas in Morocco, sended to me . A hug
ReplyDeletei don't know of any women's orders that made a film, but here is one that I loved-
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d20nzljVYPM
I love how the reporter is touched by his time with them.