Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides) - “Unless the grain of wheat which falls to the ground dies, it remains alone; if it dies, it produces much fruit” (Jn 12,24). This Gospel verse, we learn from those around him, was often on the lips of Fr Andrea Santoro. Almost like a programme for life, to be kept continually in mind, or, considering his death, a forewarning, an announcement that his life offered for the cause of the Gospel would not be fruitless. Fr Andrea was neither unprepared nor imprudent: he had studied and become very familiar with the culture and environment in which he chose to live, he was aware that an extreme act such as the one which killed him was not to be excluded. He loved God profoundly and with the same intensity he loved all those whom the Lord placed on his path in Rome and in Turkey. Besides there is an unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbour : “One is so closely connected to the other that to say that we love God becomes a lie if we are closed to our neighbour or hate him altogether … love of neighbour is a path that leads to the encounter with God and closing our eyes to our neighbour also blinds us to God” (cfr. Deus Caritas est, n.16).
All missionaries know they may be called to sacrifice their life for the cause of the Gospel. However a violent death is not something accidental which must be simply taken into account, it is the supreme offering of self. Missionaries put their lives in the hands of the Lord with full awareness and with love, knowing that should their blood be shed it will not be in vain, it will be nourishment and source of life for the local community and indeed for the whole Church. Rev. Andrea was a missionary sent by the diocese of Rome, the Church bathed in the blood of Saints Peter and Paul and built on the sacrifice of a host of other martyrs. He went to the origins of the Church, to the place where the good news of the Gospel first began to spread, thanks to the work of Saint Paul. As a Christian who received the faith from that part of the world, he wanted to return there to give the faith in his turn. Rev. Andrea went to Turkey not to proselytise or to try to impose a change on the situation and society: his mission was one of presence, a presence of prayer and of concern for the material and spiritual poverty around him, he was absorbed in love for God and for every brother and sister with whom he came into contact. “Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbour” the Holy Father Benedict XVI writes in his first encyclical “Deus Caritas est” (cfr n.15). “The concept of neighbour is now universalised, yet it remains concrete...it is not reduced to a generic, abstract and undemanding expression of love, but calls for my own practical commitment here and now”. (ibid)
The Father called Rev Andrea home on the Lord’s day, just after Mass when he had renewed the sacrifice of Christ’s death and resurrection of Christ, as he was saying his prayers in the church entrusted to his care. The profound, intimate, spiritual communion the priest was experiencing at that moment has now become fullness of life in the eternal embrace of God. His blood has been added to that of the host of other missionary martyrs who died while on mission in many different parts of the world and on many different frontiers: many of them remain unknown, unknown their names and unknown their burial places. But in the eyes of God their death was precious and the whole Church is indebted to them for their witness of faith, love and courage.
Rev. Andrea was a fidei donum priest (gift of faith) sent on mission to Turkey by the diocese of Rome. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Fide donum encyclical written by Pope Pius XII who instituted this form of missionary service, let us pray that the blood shed by this priest may irrigate the soil of our local Churches, flow abundantly in the hearts of priests and men and women religious, pour into our young people and enflame them with love and readiness for mission.
As we return the mortal body of Rev Andrea to the earth while waiting for the glorious day of Resurrection and unending joy, we pray to the Lord “that the sacrifice of his life may promote the cause of dialogue among religions and peace among peoples” (Benedict XVI, general audience 8 February 2006), certain that when and how the Lord alone wills and knows the Church and the world will reap abundant fruits from this little seed now buried in the earth. (Card. Crescenzio Sepe)
(Agenzia Fides 9/2/2006; righe 51, parole 780)
