The 7 Trappist monk who were martyred at Tibhirine monastery in Algeria The beatifications of 19 martyrs in Algeria will be a “great joy” to the Church and will help unite Christians and Muslims of the country, said a French-Algerian archbishop.
The beatifications represent “hope for the future” rather than a “complaint about the past”, said Archbishop Paul Desfarges of Algiers, the largest city in the North African country.
His words came in a commentary published on the website of the French bishops’ conference alongside a 24-page pastoral letter.
Archbishop Desfarges said he hoped the December 8 beatifications will help unite Christians and Muslims of the country in deeper friendship.
“This beatification is not a ceremony just for Christians,” he explained, but was an honour for all Algerian Christians and Muslims who were now “living together in peace”.
The martyrs, the archbishop said, would be popularly associated with “114 imams who refused to condone violence during the dark decade” of the Algerian civil war of the 1990s.
“During the civil war, there were also a number of journalists, writers, artists, and fathers and mothers who disobeyed armed groups,” he said. “Some were faithful to their faith, to their consciences, to their love of their country, and they have, unfortunately, died. We cannot honour our martyrs without taking all others in our prayers, praises or thanksgivings.”
“In 2018, we live in a world without belief, where fraternity is threatened, and in particular with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We are able to say that, through this ceremony, it is possible to live relationships of friendship, fraternity and appreciation with Muslims.”