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Tributes to Fr Francs Van Der Lugt SJ


Fr Francs van der Lugt

Fr Francs van der Lugt

Tributes have been pouring in to Dutch Jesuit Fr Francs van der Lugt who was killed yesterday in the besieged city of Homs. Fr Francs was shot twice in the head by an unknown sniper while he tended his small garden.

Speaking from Syria, fellow Jesuit Fr Ziad Hillal explained that Fr Francs had been looking after a group of Christians trapped in the Old City who were sheltering in an old monastery. Several had managed to leave during a truce but 20 or more were still left and he had remained to take care of those who could not leave.

Fr Hillal said: "For me, (Fr Frans) represents Christ in the world who is willing to lay down his life for his friends, who always gives us hope. He always asks how I am and does not talk much about himself."

Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need he added: "He was a ray of joy and hope to all those trapped in the Old City of Homs, waiting for yet another UN permission to evacuate. "God have mercy on us, who could not save him from sniper fire."

Fr Hillal also said that at present it is not possible to reach the Old City to recover Fr van der Lugt's body.

Neville Kyrke-Smith, National Director, Aid to the Church in Need (UK), said: "Fr Frans's witness to faith in the midst of the conflict in Syria inspires us to do all that we can to help others. We will continue to act in solidarity, prayer and action, helping to sustain the Christian presence in the region."

Youssef Habib said: "It is with great sorrow that I just received the news of the killing of my old Jesuit friend Fr Frans Vander Lugt today in Homs, Syria. Abouna Frans (or preferably Frans ﻓﺮﺍﻧﺲ as he liked young Syrians to call him) was a pioneer of creative means of mutual understanding between Syrians.

"He was a friend of the poorest and of the richest... of the weakest and of the most powerful. He was a psychoanalyst and an inventor of his own yoga meditation open air youth morning sessions.

"He was the pioneer of the famous Massir, or series of long walks, in the Syrian mountains and forests, grouping Syrians and non-Syrians from all ages, religions and cultures. I had the chance to do such 10-day and four-day massir walks many times with him.

"Last year in Homs, he received in the Jesuit house 40 Muslim refugee families from surrounding areas, doing everything to let them feel safe and at home. Yet, he was not convinced that the (currently) said revolutionary movement was purely for the sake of freedom. He could see quite early that there were other issues involved. For him, every human person contained a treasure. He believed in the unlimited richness of the human person.

"After Geneva 2 brought hopes to bring help to the besieged refugees in Homs, many of my Syrian friends were congratulating each other on social media “finally, Frans is getting the help for his people”.

"To end, I would like to share with you an expression that he adopted that he always used with youth at the end of his meeting with them, in a big gathering or on a one to one basis: “Ilal Amam” ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻷﻣﺎﻡ ! Move forward!

"As a Dutchman living in Syria for more than 40 years, speaking Syrian Arabic better that Syrians, knowing Syria better than Syrians, Abouna Frans always said: I live in Syria and will die in Syria.

"Farewell Frans!"

Lord Alton, who will be taking part in a Service of Music and Meditation for Syria at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, London W1K 3AH this evening (8 April 2014) said: “He personified all the best qualities and ideals which the Society of Jesus stands for. He joins a long list of Jesuit martyrs who have sacrificed their lives truly believing that a man has no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends... The tragic news of Fr Van der Lugt's murder came just 24 hours before a Vigil for Syria in London's Jesuit church at Farm Street. It's a moment to honour a great man but also to raise our voices and prayers."

The event is free but there will be a collection for Aid to the Church in Need’s work in aid of children and families who have fled their homes as a result of the conflict in Syria.

Source: ACN/Jesuit Media
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