RU 11/2008 - IRAQ, FRANCE

SPECIAL EDITION (2 pages), because of the actuality!

- IRAQ: The kidnapping of bishop Rahho of Mossul, between Baghdad and Kurdistan, about which we reported two weeks earlier, has finished in a horrible way. Here is the scenario: 1) On Sunday Feb. 29^th, unknown men kidnap the bishop at the exit of the church of the Holy Spirit at Mossul, after he had prayed the Via Crucis with his faithful. During this operation his driver and his two bodyguards were shot. 2) During the following week, the Irakian Catholics tried desperately to collect the ransom of 1 million USD to free Mgr Rahho, but they didn’t succeed, as all the rich Christians left the country already since a long time, and only some poor ones are remaining there, completely afraid. 3) Wednesday Mar. 12th, the kidnappers declare that the bishop is very sick (he was in fact under medical care and needed daily drugs). 4) Thursday they announce that he died, and that they buried him in the north of the city, where young parishioners discover him. It appears that he already died 5 days earlier, but one doesn’t know yet how he died. – Two years earlier, in front of the same church, the same thing had already occurred with the priest of this church, Rev. Fr. Paulos Iskander. He was kidnapped, after his 3 deacons had been shot. Fr. Iskander himself, after having been the object of negotiation of a ransom - that the “Islamist” kidnappers actually received from the Christians - they tortured him while cutting off his 4 members, and finally killed him. During the last 3 years, about 15 christian monks and nuns disappeared in Iraq, removed by those “Islamic” bands. Of the 800,000 Christians in Iraq under Sadam Hussein, only half of them are remaining today, while 200,000 christian refugees are piled up in Syria, 100,000 in Lebanon, 50,000 in Jordan and even 5000 in Turkey “where persecution appears less severe”…

When does the Christendom of the Occident wake up from its sleep, instead of building mosques for those people ? When finally will they understand that Islam, throughout the last 13 centuries, plays softly in minority situation, but becomes horrible for the Christians when it prevails? When will they know that those people are not friends to be supported, but enemies to be converted to our Lord Jesus Christ? - While waiting, in these Holy Weeks, let’s pray for bishop Rahho and the many Christians who are tortured and killed by Islam, and let’s repent of our unctuous guilty utopias! - (ru)

- FRANCE.  This is a press release from the association COSTA in France: “Our 3rd annual pilgrimage on Sunday, March 9, 2008 to the Holy Tunic of Argenteuil performed well. The parish authorities had largely opened the doors of the Basilica for our arrival at 2.30 PM, after a splendid procession through the city center which started from the railway station of Argenteuil. Policemen compleasantly escorted the procession and controlled the traffic, where it was necessary.

In the Basilica we prayed, with Rev. Fr. Vigne (PSSPX, of Conflans St Honorine), the Via Crucis, and recited, kneeling in front of the Reliquary containing the Holy Tunic, the traditional “prayer of unmemorable times”: “O you, my Lord and my God, whose virtue revealed itself in the healing of the sick ones, you who cured the lame ones, gave back the sight to the blind ones, made hear again the deaf ones and gave back the word to the dumb ones, you who cured the most deplorable infirmities by the only contact of your Tunic, persuaded of your eternal Power over life and death, humbly prostrated in front of this sacred Tunic which formerly covered your holy humanity, penetrated by the deepest faith, utter confidence and most tender love, I dare to address to you the eloquent prayer of the sisters of Lazarus, precisely worried about the state of their brother: Lord, I would like to say with them, ‘the one whom you like is sick’. Have pity of me, o Jesus! according to your great mercy. Throw a paternal glance on your child: if you want, you can heal me…” - Then the final song was started: “Sainte Robe Sacrée, - ouvrage maternel, - de Sang toute empourprée – par le Christ eternel” (Sacred Holy Tunic, - maternal work, - empurpled with Blood - by eternal Christ).

We were approximately 500 pilgrims, since 420 holy images were distributed, but there was a stock shortage well before all the pilgrims had received this souvenir. In addition, on a stand outside the Basilica, we could sell 31 books on the Holy Tunic (14 books “Sanguis Christi” by Philippe Bornet and Gerard Lucotte, 12 books “The Holy Tunic face to the Science” with the proceedings of our conference at Argenteuil of Nov. 2005, and 5 historical books written by Rev. Fr. François Le Quéré “The Holy Tunic”). - All pilgrims agreed to come back next year, always on the 1st Sunday of the Passion, so that this pilgrimage may become again the great pilgrimage of France towards this unique Treasure which the Providence agreed to entrust to the ‘oldest daughter of the Church’: the inconsutile Holy Tunic, soaked with the Precious Blood of O.L. Jesus Christ, true God and true man.

Please note that professor Andre Marion (who participated in the pilgrimage of March 9th) will present a conference with diaporama about his research on the Holy Tunic and the Shroud of Turin at the next dinner-debate of Radio-Silence, on Wednesday April 9th at 7.30 PM at the restaurant LE GRENADIER, on the first floor of the railway station ‘Austerlitz’ in Paris. Price of the meal: 25 Euro (20 Euro for students, unemployed and the poor). One can book by sending a check of 25 Euro to the ‘LA VOIX DU SILENCE’, 5 rue Dufrenoy, 75116 Paris, France.

In addition, you can receive regular information while becoming member of COSTA (10 Euro per year). Finally, in order to become a “day pilgrim”, you can obtain the “pilgrim card” of COSTA - free - by engaging you, for a definite day per month chosen by you (e.g. each 2nd Monday, or 4th Friday…), to go to venerate by a personal visit the Holy Tunic in the Basilica of Argenteuil (open daily from 3 to 5 PM, and on weekends from 4 to 6 PM). Already 23 families have started and “assure the guard”, almost every day of the month. It’s the core of the future ‘Brotherhood of the Holy Tunic’, which will be revived when the ‘day pilgrims’ are sufficiently numerous. Lord, by your Holy Tunic woven by Your Holy Mother and soaked by Your Precious Blood, cure us!” – End of quotation from the COSTA press release.

 Coordinates of the association COSTA (UNEC): BP 70114, F-95210 Saint-Gratien, Ph./Fax
+33-134120268, costa-coeli@wanadoo.fr, www.radio-silence.tv (section COSTA-COELI). - (ru)

- - HAPPY EASTER !  - -