Pope Leo and the witness of the Algerian martyrs

I first learned of the Algerian martyrs through the movie: Of Gods and Men, a film centered on a true story that happened in the monastery of Tibhirine, Algeria, where nine Cistercian monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were kidnapped and assassinated in 1996 during the Algerian Civil War. The film and story are both beautiful and horrifying. The French dialogue is subtitled.

As described on Vatican News by Andrea Tornielli at a Meeting of Friendship Among Peoples in Rimini, Pope Leo XIV commented on the practice of mission, that “mission is not self-promotion but humble witness, lived in closeness and fraternity, even to the gift of one’s life.”

He continued: “The Church’s vocation shines forth: to dwell in the desert in deep communion with all humanity, overcoming the walls of mistrust that divide religions and cultures, fully imitating the incarnation and self-giving of the Son of God.” The Pope underlined that “this way of presence and simplicity” is “the true path of mission.”

[. . .]

Mission, he insisted, is never “a form of self-display, in opposition of identities, but the gift of self, even to the point of martyrdom, by those who adore day and night, in joy and in tribulation, Jesus alone as Lord.”

“They gave themselves completely to the people among whom they lived: simply by sharing life with them in every way, bearing witness through fraternity, friendship, closeness, and practical help. Without seeking the spotlight, without worrying about numbers, without trusting in carefully planned strategies.”

This is clear in a homily by Bishop Pierre Claverie, martyred in 1996. Shortly before being killed by Islamic fundamentalists, he was asked why he remained in Algeria despite the daily risk to his life. He replied: “Where is home for us? We are there because of this crucified Messiah. For no other reason, for no other person! We have no interests to defend, no influence to maintain…We have no power, but we are there like at the bedside of a friend, of a sick brother, in silence, holding his hand, wiping his forehead. Because of Jesus – because it is he who suffers, in that violence that spares no one, crucified again in the flesh of thousands of innocents.”

The pope continued: “Where should the Church of Jesus be – which is itself the Body of Christ – if not first of all there? I believe the Church dies precisely when it is not close enough to the cross of Jesus. The Church dies when it drifts away from the cross of Jesus, when it becomes worldly and turns itself into an NGO, when it chases political and economic power, when it relies on numbers, when it imagines that evangelisation is simply repeating the name of Jesus Christ at every opportunity, instead of taking up the challenge of following him in the concreteness of life, in radical choices, in service to the least.”

[. . .]

The martyrs of Algeria bore witness until the end, mingling their Christian blood with that of the many Muslims who were victims of fundamentalism.

[Ken Gray]

In my own day and context, the memory of the sacrifice of these martyrs — men in communion and community with God which to me seems unfathomable — challenges me to examine my own faith and commitment to God in Christ albeit with a certain embarrassment and sadness. Of course, none of us knows how we might react in crisis situations. What we do know — and to some extent what we can control — is how we prepare for the unknown, how we grow in faith, hope, love, and courage.

As we in the Canadian Anglican church continue to refocus our energies, restructure our common life, and strategically connect with an increasingly competitive andog gods and men, violent world, these stories inspire me, and possibly others, to live a humble and other-centred life. They narrate what to me is missing in our church today — courageous and sacrificial leadership supported by a robust communal experience, characterized by generosity. To paraphrase St. Irenaeus, those alive to God can change the world. Such is the witness of the saints, including the Algerian martyrs. I give the last word to one of the martyrs, Trappist prior Christian Chergé. In a movie voice-over he hear:

“Should it ever befall me, and it could happen today, to be a victim of the terrorism swallowing up all foreigners here, I would like my community, my church, my family, to remember that my life was given to God and to this country. That the Unique Master of all life was no stranger to this brutal departure. And that my death is the same as so many other violent ones, consigned to the apathy of oblivion.

I’ve lived enough to know, I am complicit in the evil that, alas, prevails over the world and the evil that will smite me blindly. I could never desire such a death. I could never feel gladdened that these people I love be accused randomly of my murder. I know the contempt felt for people here, indiscriminately. And I know how Islam is distorted by certain Islamism. This country, and Islam, for me are something different. They’re a body and a soul.

My death, of course, will quickly vindicate those who call me naïve or idealistic, but they must know that I will be freed of a burning curiosity and, God willing, will immerse my gaze in the Father’s and contemplate with him his children of Islam as he sees them.

This thank you which encompasses my entire life includes you, of course, friends of yesterday and today, and you too, friend of the last minute, who knew not what you were doing. Yes, to you as well I address this thank you and this farewell which you envisaged. May we meet again, happy thieves in Paradise, if it pleases God the Father of us both. Amen. Insha’Allah.”

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