Padre Jacques Hamel “is blessed, now.” Pope Francis convincingly told the bishop of Rouen Dominique Lebrun at the end of the Mass celebrated in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta to commemorate the priest murdered past July 16 while celebrating Mass by two men who stormed the small church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray shouting ‘Allah’.
“He was slain at the Cross, while celebrating the sacrifice of Christ’s Cross”, the Pope said in his homily, describing Father Jacques as “a good, meek man, who sought brotherhood and peace, murdered like a criminal.” He can be considered the first “martyr” on European soil.
The bishop had brought the Pope a photograph of the priest hoping to ask him to sign it as a memento for the three nuns who witnessed the murder of the priest that tragic morning, but couldn’t join the pilgrimage to Rome with the diocese. “I showed the photo to the Pope with the intention of asking him to sign it so I could bring it to the nuns – said bishop Lebrun -. Instead, he immediately told me to ‘place it upon the altar’, which I didn’t expect. There’s also another detail: at the end of Mass, after having greeted all those present, while signing the picture of Father Hamel, the Pope said: ‘You can place this photo in the church. He is blessed now, and if anyone says that you aren’t allowed, tell them the Pope has given you permission’.” Bishop Lebrun thus announced that the diocese would soon open a beatification process for Father Jacques Hamel. Meanwhile, in the little graveyard of the priests of the diocese, where Father Jacques was laid to rest, his tomb has become a pilgrimage destination for many faithful who gather there in prayer.
In the homily at the chapel of Santa Marta the Pope spoke in very strong terms. Père Jacques – Francis said – “is a part of this chain” of martyrs. Christians who are suffering today – in prison, those put to death, or tortured – for refusing to deny Jesus Christ, testify to the very cruelty of this persecution. This cruelty demanding apostasy has a name, it’s satanic. How I would like all religious confessions to say: ‘Killing in the name of God is satanic.’” The bishop remarked: “I think the murderers were acting under the influence of the devil, Satan. This morning the Pope said that Father Jacques was ‘lucid enough’ to utter the name of his murderer. He clearly said: ‘Be gone, Satan!’” “When he spoke these words – Monsignor Lebrun went on – he had already been stabbed and was on the floor. His sister gave me a correct interpretation: ‘Father Jacques could not imagine that these young men were the origin of this evil. In fact, they are not the origin of this evil.”
The brutal murder of Father Jacques in a small parish church is but the last of a series of attacks targeting France in the name of the Jihad. The government – the bishop said – is “on the alert”, and it activated all security measures. But this doesn’t mean that “people aren’t afraid. In fact they are”, said Lebrun. “A week ago I had a meeting with the vicars of the diocese. They all said they had been receiving phone calls from people asking whether Mass is still being celebrated, if they can attend, if it could be dangerous. Nonetheless, more people are attending now than before. This made me reflect on Jesus’ words, repeated on many occasions by John Paul II: Do not be afraid. I don’t think that Jesus said that it’s silly to be afraid, nor that there is no reason to be afraid. What he said is: be brave enough to be afraid. This is what the Pope has taught us this morning on martyrdom, when he spoke about courage. It can be said that at psychological level people are afraid, but deep down in their souls, they are stronger.”
The Pope’s Mass was attended also by Roselyn, the sister of Father Jacques Hamel, who joined the pilgrimage of Mercy from the diocese of Rouen to Rome. On Thursday evening they will bring the breviary of Father Jacques Hamel to St. Bartholomew’s Church on the Tiber Island, the church devoted to the “new martyrs.” Thus, while waiting for the Church to officialise Father Jacques’ holiness for martyrdom, his living memory continues to thrive amidst the relics of many contemporary martyrs, from all Christian Churches.
