"When I'm leading the campaign against Sharia law, for the abolition of the blasphemy law, speaking for the oppressed and marginalised, persecuted Christian and other minorities, these Taliban threaten me.
"But I want to share that I believe in Jesus Christ, who has given his own life for us. I know what is the meaning of the cross, and I'm following the cross. I'm ready to die for a cause, I'm living for minority community and suffering people, and I will die to defend their rights. So these threats and these warnings cannot change my opinions and principles. I prefer to die for my principles and for the justice of my community rather than to compromise on these threats."
Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistani Minorities Minister, shot dead today, speaking in January. Video interview.
3 comments:
Though the Church rightly will investigate this case before formally declaring him a sainted martyr, popular acclamation is likely to preempt the formal canonisation process. Considering the circumstances there seems little reason to doubt that he was killed specifically due to hatred of his Catholic faith, so inclined to think he’s in a better position to pray for us than we for him.
AR, I don't suggest that we pray for him. He was 'sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours' (1 Cor 1), so I think Jesus had his sanctification covered from the start, and I don't really care whether some guys in Rome take a while to recognise that after his death. Rather, we should pray for all the saints in Christ Jesus in Pakistan, that they persevere in faith, hope and love. And for all the saints in Christ in our own countries, that we know the way of the cross and find courage to live and die for Jesus.
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