Saturday, February 16, 2008

Sister Leonella Sgorbati

On September 12, 2006 Pope Benedict, while delivering a lecture at the University of Regensburg in Germany, quoted a manuscript from the 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus. The quote is as follows:

"Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The words spread around the world like wildfire and some Muslims took great offense to this. Five days later, Sister Leonella Sgorbati - a nun who had devoted her life to helping the most empovirished regions in Africa - was gunned down outside a children's hospital in Mogadishu. Her last words were “Pardono; pardono" (“I forgive; I forgive.”).

I'm not going to explain or discuss what a cowardly act it is to shoot a female in the back - worse yet, a nun - by some gutless invertebrate. It's especially psychopathic, however, how an overzealous fanatic would cut down an individual whose main motivation is to help their people and their community. I do hope they find the suspected two men responsible for this and are made to face some kind of justice.


Yeah, right. Like that's ever going to happen.

8 comments:

Adrienne said...

It is beyond me how anyone could do that. I'm sure she is heaven with Our Heavenly Father.

P.S. Thanks for putting the great music back on the side bar. I've been missing it:)

Katie Alender said...

As usual, the children have paid the price for fanaticism. I'm sure that would have been what pained the brave sister more than anything else.

Terry Nelson said...

I'm happy you reminded everyone of her martyrdom.

Anonymous said...

they do it for the same reason as when they burn down their own houses and villages when they see a cartoon of "The Prophet"....

they'll trample themselves in the streets and shoot guns in the air (never concerned for the children and bystanders whose heads they come down on and kill a couple minutes later.)

ludicrous....

and evil....

reminds me of the same ghetto thug mentality of the idiots who rioted out in LA. Tore up their own neighborhoods.

my mom says that those who act like that are possessed.

I wonder that she may not be far off on it....

it would be nice if those who endorse this sort of behavior were to take note of what a real martyrdom looks like. This woman died and went straight up.

no bomb belt required.

Jane said...

I was very saddened to hear of her martyrdom.

Tracy said...

I'm glad you posted about her Tom, I wasn't aware of her story and I am so happy to know of her and about her and I am sure she is with the Lord.. but it doesn't make it seem any less sad.

Tom in Vegas said...

Portal-

Very nicely stated:)

Jennifer said...

I remember saying many prayers for everyone involved at that time. Thanks for the reminder to include her and the shooters in my intentions.