Sun streamed through the stained-glass windndows onto the pews. Only the soft murmus of prayers distrubred the peaceful silence. The morning Mass at Santa Maria Church in Turkey had subsided. Father Andrea Sntoro could take his time in fellowship and conversation with God. Suddenly the back doors of the church fleq open.
Before Santoro could even turn around, two bullets had pierced his body, hitting his heart and liver. In an instant, he went from simply conversation with God on Earth into eternal fellowship with Him in Heaven.
“Allahu Akbar!” (“Allah is great!”) cried the Muslim assailiant as he fled the church and escaped down the road. This phrase is an Arabic exhortation used as as a rallying cry by Islamic militants. Police later launched a major manjunt and found him hiding in a relative’s home near the city center.
He was only sixteen years old, already filled with enough hate and deception that he could kill an innocent priest in cold blood, believing he was doing Allah a favour. Prior to his murder, Santoro was threatened numerous times by Muslim militants about his ministry of converting Muslims to Christianity. The priest never requested police protection. He did not want to hinder his ministry
There are numerous theories about why Santoro was killed, but the constant theme running through them is that he was a Christian, one who dared to share his faith with Muslims. Had he confined his ministry to his church, he may have avoided the assault.
The Santa Maira Church was built in the second half of the nineteenth century to serve foreign Christians visiting the city. Santoro was a member of the Sons of Divine Providence, a Catholic religious order in Italy. He came to Turkey in 2000 to live and work, and eventually to die for his commitment to bring “church” outside the safety of its four walls.
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