Algeria: martyrs for God

The Vatican has promulgated the decree attesting to the martyrdom of the 7 monks of Tibhirine, among whom Msgr Pierre Claverie, Bishop of Orano, and the other 11 male and female consecrated religious, killed between 1994 and 1996 during the Algerian civil war which caused the death of thousands of innocent people among which journalists, writers, Imams and common folk.

A movie entitled “Of Gods and Men” was made about the 7 Trappist monks who were abducted from their abbey of Our Lady of Atlante  (80 km from Algiers) and slain in still obscure circumstances. These vicissitudes reached their peak in August 1996, when the Dominican Bishop of Orano, fervid defender of the reconciliation between Muslims and Christians, was killed together with his Muslim driver, by a bomb at the entrance of his house. The spokesman of the French Bishops’ Conference said “They are martyrs of love because they loved up to the end, giving their lives for their Algerian friends. For us it is a sign that love is not vain and will triumph.” The Algerian bishops commented “Our Church is rejoicing” associating to their homage “the thousands of people who were not afraid to risk their own lives for their fidelity in the faith in God, their country and their conscience.”