Priest and Brothers
Cistercian "Trappist" monks
The movie “Of Gods and Men”, released in 2010, is a French
movie that tells the story of Trappist monks who lived in Algeria. In
1996, seven Trappist monks were held hostage for two months until they were brutally
murdered.
Algeria had been a French colony for many years. In the 1960’s
when the French withdrew from the country, Algeria was thrown into turmoil as
different groups attempted to gain power. During the 1980’s another problem arose. Algeria was confronted with an extreme form
of Islamic fundamentalism which condoned violence against any person or group
that opposed it. In Algeria the primary targets were European Christians. Through all the years of turmoil and
instability, the Trappists, as well as other religious groups, had stayed in
the country, ministering to the small Christian community as well as helping
Muslims.
The Trappists had arrived in Algeria in the 1930’s to
witness to God’s love. They made Christ
present to their Muslim neighbors by providing medical care for the people and developing
an irrigation system. Their days were
spent in prayer, manual labor, hospitably and sharing whatever they had with
the poor.
The relationship between Christians and Muslims were
positive until 1991 when the Algerian government canceled elections. A radical Islamic group formed in the
mountain of the country. This group called itself the Armed Islamic Group
(GIA). The GIA wanted all foreigners to leave the country and began engaging in
terrorist activities.
On Christmas Eve the GIA came to the monastery and demanded
medical and financial help. The abbot, Father Christian refused to help
financially but added that anyone who came to the monastery would receive medical
help as usual. The Trappists were
threatened by the GIA. The local police
and the apostolic nuncio offered to move the monks to a safer location. Time and again the monks prayed about moving
out of their monastery. Each time the
monks voted to remain even as the conditions in the country grew worse. They were aware of the risk they were taking
by staying unprotected in their monastery.
They wished to stay to witness to their faith and to help the country.
On March 27, 1996, the GIA demanded the Brother Luc, a
doctor, come and care for some wounded men.
Brother Luc was 85 and not well. When
Father Christian refused, the guerrillas went through the monastery and
captured seven of the monks. Only two monks escaped from being captured. The GIA sent a message demanding the release
of GIA members in prison. They threatened to kill the monks if the demands were
not bet. The prisoners were not released, so the GIA made good on its threat.
On May 21 all seven monks were executed. Their remains were not found until May 30th
at the side of a road. The remains of
the monks were flown by helicopter to the monastery where Muslim neighbors had
dug the graces in the monastery cemetery.
The monks gave a witness of love for their neighbors that lives on.
For more information see:
"Heroic Catholics of the Twentieth Century" By Sister Elizabeth Ann Barkett, SJW
New Hope Publications, New Hope, Ky.
or
Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker
ssjw.org
