The last monk of martyrs
testifies
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| 88 Years, Jean-the brother Pierre, only survivor of the monastery of Tibihirine, think every day about missing brothers, but rejecting nostalgia, he chose the expectancy. |
INTERVIEW - Rescued
from the killing of 1996, he had never mentioned since the death of the monks
of martyrs. We found Brother Jean-Pierre in a monastery at Morocco, where he
agreed to talk exclusively for Le Figaro Magazine. He talks about his
missing, brothers of the tragic events that they have experienced, Xavier
Beauvois, film men and gods. But his faith and his life expectancy.
Light maintenance.
LE FIGARO MAGAZINE.
-Have you enjoyed the film "men and gods"?
Brother Jean-Pierre.- It me very deeply
touched. I was excited to review the things that we've lived together. But I
especially felt a kind of fullness, no sadness. I found the film very
beautiful because his message is so true, even if the achievement is not
always accurate compared to what happened. But it has no importance. Essentially,
this is the message. And this film is an icon. An icon says much more than
what you see... It is a bit like a Gregorian chant. When it is well composed,
the author has developed a message, and one who sings is even more so,
because the spirit works in him. In this sense, this film is an icon. It is a
real success, a masterpiece.
You have no criticism
to make?
I have heard some
criticism of the role of the prior, Mr. Christian. Some find it a bit
cleared, but I find it very well. Others find austere because the never seen
smiling. But it is quite in character that suits the serious situation that
we have crossed. In this role, I admire his way to be listening to the
brothers, especially in difficult times. He does not want to impose. He is
listening. One can feel full of respect for the brothers. It is clear the
pastor and his desire to open up to God, to leave work by God and have the
reaction should be to the brothers. In the film, we see this openness to God,
asked, it is influenced by him. C'est monastic!
Is there a loss of real
history?
I have not felt this.
But how, as a monk,
live you the success of the film?
We are delighted and
amazed to see such a success, but do we have for nothing! Being known bothers
me a little... A monk is to be hidden.
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| The Chapel, the "Memorial" and photos of seven brothers beheaded. Lower-right, one brother Amédée, also rescued from Tibihirine and died here in Midelt, at the Morocco. |
Why were you oppose the
principle of the filming of the movie?
We did not wanted to
accept the film and his shooting at the Morocco, because of the danger of
suspicion of proselytism. Some, at that time, receiving more their residence
card for a long time. We must be very prudent but we were left to the will of
the Lord. We have therefore not been consulted. The team knew our objection
and the reasons for our prudence. They were very respectful.
When you come to
martyrs?
I remember never this
September 19, 1964. When we arrived at 2 CV of the monastery, I will always
see this child, seated on a donkey, who came to our meeting to greet us. I
was very pleased. My small cell, I saw the fence, garden and distant village.
I then said: this is the landscape that I see the rest of my life. Because in
my heart forever. No return. I am remained thirty-two years, from 1964 to
kidnapping in 1996.
How was life there?
The beginnings were
difficult. The community lacked stability and this was a very hard to live
period. Furthermore, the new Algeria put in place. Relations with the
surrounding people were not obvious. There were reflexes of rejection of the
French. It felt this divide on the occasion of the celebrations, Christian or
Muslim. It had nothing to do with each other. We have therefore struggled
against this and tried to tame mutually. This clinic, hosted by brother Luke,
was very important. He received up to 80 persons per day! Then, Mr. Christian
was elected prieur, in 1984. We needed someone like him who spoke Arabic and
familiar with Muslim culture. From there, we have become a true community,
more stable. Those who promised really were. We were almost independent.
Which was an advantage, because this us to take many initiatives in the
Muslim-Christian relationship.
Mr. Christian he played
what role?
There, with him, an
evolution towards the islamology6. He personally much studied the Koran. In
the morning, he was doing his lectio divina with a Bible in Arabic. He
was sometimes meditation with the Koran. He was seeking to evolve. We had
relations with islam, but not at an intellectual level. He was very familiar
with the Muslim community and Sufi spiritual. Some monks felt that the
community should remain balanced and that everything should not be orientated
by islam. What causes friction. These tensions eventually be exceeded through
the creation of a group of Exchange and sharing with Sufi Muslims, that we
had called the ribât. We had understood discussion of dogma divided because
it was impossible. It was the path to God. They prayed silently, each
according to his prayer to him. These biennial meetings were interrupted in
1993, when it began to become dangerous. But this mutual knowledge made us
real brothers, in depth.
What father Mr.
Christian you scored?
I was struck his home,
is her inner passion for discovery of the Muslim soul and to live this
communion with them and with God, while remaining truly monk and Christian.
Who were you nearest?
Brother Luke! It was
very close both. There was no priest, he was brother. Could confide in him. It
was full of wisdom. In a small community where there is not many priests, it
is not easy to find a spiritual director. If we had a problem or a difficulty
in relation to a brother, would first see brother Luke, knowing full well how
he would respond. It was a model... Chapter, even during the period of
tension and fear, he always had the word to laugh. It was valuable for common
life. Even if, as a doctor, he had a special regime, because he was in his
clinic all day and was, in addition, the kitchen! He began his days 1 hour of
the morning to be ready for 7 hours at the clinic. There were many asthma and
couldn't sleep. He slept sitting! I was also very close to brother Amédée,
the other survivor who died here in Midelt.
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| Notre-Dame de L'atlas perpetuates, at Morocco, the spirit of Tibihirine and the same tradition of dialogue with all . |
Pray with your brothers
missing?
I try to have a time
every morning. It is not forgotten. They are still present. All. Trying to
move forward. The film, from this point of view, stimulates us in our
vocation.
Your brothers speak you
in prayer?
No, not yet... I am
sure that they are near to the Lord. I got it at the beginning of their
martyrdom. This gives joy, not sorrow. This is what I'm seeing film: joy,
step of nostalgia! (laughter). Hoping that the Lord sends us other
monks who want to live it.
Do not you feel never
nostalgia for life to martyrs?
A little Yes... We
experienced great things together. And then this life together to represent
the Lord and the Church. It is a beautiful vocation. It can go far. Christ is
greater than the Church. The Sufis used an image to speak of our relationship
with Muslims. This is a double slope scale. Asked by Earth and the top
touches the sky. We climb on the one hand, they climb on the other hand,
depending on their method. Moreover it is close to God, it is close together
and others. And conversely, more close with each other, it is more close to
God. All theology is there!
And yet it is the death
which was...
What we have lived here
together and at the outset, was an action of grace. It was prepared together.
By fidelity to our vocation, it had chosen to stay knowing very well what could
happen. The Lord sends us, we are not going to resign even though around us,
violent seek to let us go, and even the officials. But we have our master and
we were committed to him. Second came the desire to be faithful to the people
of our environment to not abandon them. They were also threatened us. They
were taken crossfire between the army and terrorists, the rebels. Not to
separate decision was taken in 1993. And even if we had been dispersed by
force, should find itself in Fez, in the Morocco start to settle in another
Muslim country.
How do you live what
happened: as a failure or an accomplishment?
After removal, Amédée
father and I have been forced down in Algiers with police. Praying for our
brothers. So God gives them the strength and grace to go all the way.
Expected an intervention of the France or ecclesiastical intervention to
obtain their release. They learned their death 21 May 1996. We were praying
Vespers. Suddenly, a young brother arrived at the Chapel and jumped to
everyone shouting stomach, her despair: "brothers were killed." At
night, while we were side-by-side to do the dishes, I told him: "It live
it as something very beautiful, very large." It must be worthy. And the
mass we will say to them will not be black. It will be rouge.» We immediately
saw them, in fact, as martyrs. Martyrdom was the fulfillment of everything we
had prepared for a long time, in our lives. These years that we had lived
together in danger. We were ready, all. But this did not exclude the fear.
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| The Chapel, beating heart of the monastery: to the left of the altar icon reported Virgen de Tibihirine, now securely hang here in the Morocco. |
When was fear it
started?
From 1993, the visit of
the GIA, on Christmas Eve. The community then considerably expanded union and
depth. The danger was now everywhere, all times, day and night. This has
shaken us much. It is really passed by the hollow at the time there.
What happened exactly?
They did the wall at
night, Christmas 1993. It was in the sacristy with Célestin, preparing songs
for mass of Christmas cards. Armed to the teeth men have surrounded us. Croats
were killed, thought to spend there also. They assured us. Because we were
religious, they we would nothing. But they then began typing on the
Government. Then the head stated: "I want to see the Pope of the
coin.»". Is gone seeking Christian, who immediately said: "No, it
is not here with guns." If you want to come here, let your arms on the
outside. Nobody has ever entered here with weapons. "Here, it is a House
of peace! They finally talked and asked three things: that the doctor can
treat the wounded in the mountains, drugs, money. Tactfully, Christian
answered no to all three applications. Except for the wounded, who could
come, like everyone else, at the clinic. Then he said in Arabic that we
prepared "the feast of the birth of the prince of peace". They did
not and apologized, but they said: "one reviendra.»". By giving
your password: they require "Mr Christian." That evening, midnight
mass took a particular taste. The next chapter, we began discussions about
the future.
What have you decided?
That if they ask for
money, is to give them a little to avoid violence, but we thought however
leave because we didn't collaborate with them. Then the Bishop of Alger came
to tell us that if it decided to leave, should not leave all together, not
overreact Church of Algeria. It was decided that two of us would leave.
Célestin, who had been traumatized by this Christmas and had to undergo six
heart bypass surgery, and brother Paul, who was in need of rest.
Was there unanimity
among you?
There was another chapter
after this Christmas. One thought was to stay, others better leave. So at
this time, for safety, we were forced to close the monastery at the end of
the afternoon and in the morning. We also told the participants no longer
come. We were isolated. This changed the economy of the monastery and needed
to find other ways to live.
There was therefore a
discrepancy?
It has evolved. Fr.
Armand Veilleux, comes one of the last preaching retreats, we were told that
we had reached "the Summit" of our common life. We were reached
unanimously at the decision to stay. Fraternal relations were still welded.
Chapter, we cannot take lightly decisions also serious. From GIA, for a
start, on our conduct if we were removed or dispersed... We were then all
decided to stay, but the fear of what would happen was present, more or less,
each and others. But it was necessary to continue to live. There were attacks
on the right and left. Relatives of the monastery were arrested or
threatened. This is the climate in which it lived.
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| Brother Jean-Pierre sings offices with a voice of young man; in his eyes, the serenity, but also intense inner joy. |
Serenity, don't even
once asked the choice to stay?
No, no. In the evening,
when they sang Compline, there as a shelter from danger, lead, who hung on
the monastery. At night he could achieve anything. It was said: that happens
tonight? It did not propose to be killed, but we knew that this could happen
at any time. We had the chance to be a community. And life continued, was
Cook, the another gardener, the other looked after administration. This
allowed to forget, but in the evening, at night, is asked what could happen.
It would say not, but everyone thought.
And what happened on
the night of the removal?
On the evening of the
Rapture, I was in the room of the doorman. I awoke about 1 a.m., the voice
sounds to the portal. They were already inside, in the garden. Probably they
wanted to see the doctor. I was expecting they knock at the door for me. I
went to the window. I saw one went directly to the House of brother Luc. This
was not normal, because when we want to see the doctor knock in the portal
and the doorman appeared. And I heard a voice saying: "who is the
head." And I recognized Christian. I said: "he heard them before
me, it opened them and give them what they veulent.»". At the end of a
quarter of an hour, I heard the door opens onto the street to close and I
thought they were gone. A bit later fr. Amédée struck and told me: "the
brothers have been removed." They were left by behind, otherwise I would
have heard.
What did you feel then?
The question I am
immediately asked me was whether: if I had heard and seen out, that I have
done? I stayed or will I ran behind to go with them?
And your answer?
I have not yet
responded. If this happened, it was not easy, but I feel that I would have
run behind. Amédée told me once: "they won't kill them, because if they
had intended to do so, they would have done any of suite.»". It was
indeed very difficult to move the mountain at night, because there was a
military post not far away, on the Hill. In addition, brother Luke was 82
years old and another came out of the hospital, with six bypass. Walk with
people like this, it wasn't easy. It was thought that they were going to use
them for something. In the meantime we feel alone, deprived of our brothers.
The community was demolished. We hoped that they would be quickly released,
as if they were not returning, life was finished at the monastery.
An excerpt from the film by Xavier Beauvois, men and gods
Why the kidnappers did
not become as usual?
When they came, they
were the wall. Then, inside, opened the door gave on the street. There was a
single bolt. This door was never closed to key. We wanted our relationships
are based on mutual trust.
The kidnappers were
people from the GIA or not?
Guardian of the
monastery told me that they had come first at home by saying that they wanted
to see the doctor, on the pretext that they had two serious injuries. He had
answered that fathers were prohibited to extend its service for custody of
the monastery at night. What was true, we the him had forbidden so that there
is no problem for him and his family in the event of misfortune, there
occurred an assault... They insisted. Goalkeeper got out of his home by the
courtyard to the monastery. There, he fell on a group that was already in the
courtyard. Taken before the portal giving among the doorman, he was in the
midst of another group who had detained the father Christian. He then asked
the question: "who is the head." One of the kidnappers responded by
designating the leader: "it is he, the Chief, he must obey. Then one of
them, speaking to the guardian asked: "they are seven." The guardian
responded: "it is as you dis.»." However, we were nine... It is
therefore probably the reason why father Amédée and myself have not taken;
because when they had arrested seven brothers, they left the scene without
searching the House.
But you, what do you
think: who kidnapped? The GIA or army?
We know that what
happened in the monastery. For the rest, it questions like everyone else. The
investigation continues. Regards the GIA, guardian told me that when they
fell, one of those who accompanied him told one of his colleagues: "will
search for a string, it will see what it is that the GIA", because they
wanted to kill him, but he managed to be Eclipse.
Several years later, no
do you see unclear on the reasons for removal?
It sees no clear. In
one of his releases Medi 1 radio, the GIA gives a reason for killing:
"people evangelize their contact, because they had relationships and
they left their monastery, that monks do not need to. They deserve death.
"We are entitled to execute them." This is therefore one of the
reasons. It is given by the Islamists themselves. Subsequently, other reasons
were given instead of assumptions, which are pending the verdict of the trial
judge continues an investigation into the circumstances of their kidnapping
and killing.
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| The new monastery is nestled in the foothills of the Atlas, where a divine hand seems to have signed the landscape. |
How do you live this
conundrum?
We would like to know
who killed and where the bodies are buried. Would like to know, but it is,
this worry no more. This does not alter the brothers died. They died for
reasons why they chose to stay. This is why they are martyrs. They gave their
lives. They were ready to give their lives for it.
Can we expect the
martyrdom?
Some did, but it wasn't
our State of mind. It did not wish to, it wasn't there for that. But it had
to be ready for this. We were in the hands of God. And that is why, in this
state of mind, my brothers died. I must acknowledge and say that we were not
extremely outraged. Of course, this brand, does suffer, it is the penalty...
But we know "why", it was all ready for this! Life is just a
passage, it ends in one way or another. After it joined the Lord.
Can inspired by their
sacrifice, Xavier Beauvois, film be a ferment of reconciliation between
Christians and Muslims?
Of course! The example
of the brothers in their relationship with people, with Muslims, show that
can become true brothers in communion, together, in depth and not only on the
surface. In depth before God. Some have lived. It is not uncommon. When
Christians see this, they realize that Muslims are like other people. Some
are very good: values of hospitality, friendliness, helpfulness, find
themselves. As well as the values of union with God, daily prayers. They have
relationships with God which are sometimes very surprising and which are real
examples for us Christians. A friend of Christian, who gave his life for him,
he was told: Christians do not pray... They are very charitable, they provide
many services, but it never sees pray! Many Christians could hear this.
You've never felt hate
during and after such drama?
It is curious, but I
did not feel this feeling.
And bitterness?
No more.
How do you interpret
current hardening of some Muslims against Christians, whose recent attacks
have been a sign?
This comes from the
extremists. True Muslims say, this is not us this. They are ashamed of what
happened to the brothers. This is not the religion. " On the other hand,
is is not enough. It collects through violent and this creates a tendency
between itself and a fear of contacts. The solution is to cultivate
friendships, even if it can be rolled.
To be driving?
Yes, some say, the
reciprocal, you will see little or not: it allows Muslims to build mosques,
but can still run to build churches at home!
You really think?
Christians are, in fact, often accused of naivete with islam...
The question is not
here. By faith, we are in danger! It is in the Gospel: "Love as I have
loved you." Then it often loses, he should know. But sometimes it may
react. So is reciprocity and mutual recognition can go very far.
What is your hope for
2011?
It is hoped that love
is always the strongest. Only God's love will be the last word. Founded in
God, hope must remain. And it is not we who can solve this. Expectancy invincible, as said Christian Cherge. It should not be defeated, she must always
remain open, based on God, his grace. Even when you die under the blows. As
he said, hope must be open...
NEWS FROM "Airts and Pairts - - -"
Dear, Christina,
Severe storms have knocked our Broadband for two days. So contact gives us all the welcome of your happenings.
The first is the reassuring progress after the horrendous cyclone of Queensland. making its impact on your Palm Island. Thank God you are surviving.
The other news, like news than can come the longest route and the shortest delivery. Thank you for the Email from Rome giving us the latest information about our Atlas monks now in Morocco.
Br. Jean-Pierre, 88, speaks well of the monastery that was previously in your FMM, (Franciscan Missionaries of Mary). There is a strong link of the OCSOs and FMMs.
The Le Figaro article is very welcome and acknowledge thanks for translation and for the Blog.
Hoping you will have all the support for the cyclone survival heavy work.
God bless.
Donald
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