A "brave witness to the Gospel of love", whose "shed blood" must become a "seed of hope" to say no, once again, to "every form of violence". These are the sentiments expressed today by the Pope about the death of father Andrea Santoro, who was murdered yesterday in Trabzon (Turkey) "as he was engrossed in prayer". Today, the Holy Father sent two telegrams of condolence to card. Camillo Ruini, the Pope’s vicar for the diocese of Rome (from which father Andrea came), and to mgr. Luigi Padovese, vicar apostolic of Anatolia. "Deeply touched by the tragic death of father Andrea Santoro", in the telegram sent to card. Ruini, the Pope ensures his "deeply-felt sympathy for the grief of the whole Church of Rome for the grave loss of such a highly-regarded and zealous fidei donum priest". "While I wish his shed blood may become the seed of hope for a genuine fraternity between the peoples, I raise fervent prayers for the repose of that brave witness to the Gospel of love", continued the Holy Father, as he gave the apostolic blessing to "his family" and in particular to "his old, aggrieved mother and to all those people who mourn his violent death". In the telegram sent to the vicar apostolic of Anatolia, mgr. Luigi Padovese, Benedict XVI expresses his "special closeness" to the Christian community of Turkey "reasserting he wrote my firm disapproval of any form of violence". About the “tragic death” of father Andrea, the Holy Father also recalled his activity as a "fidei donum" missionary of the diocese of Rome in Turkey, where he carried out "his office with generosity and apostolic fervour, to the benefit of the Gospel and at the service of the needy and the outcast".
