Portuguese 
English 
Chinese 
Dutch 
Arabic 
Spanish 
Russian 
French 
Italian 
German 
Japanese [ad_1]
Servo de Deus Akash Bashir. / Crédito: A ajuda à Igreja que Sofre
Sala de Imprensa de Lima, 25 de janeiro de 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
During this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a group of believers from different Christian denominations made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Akash Bashir, the young Pakistani Salesian who sacrificed his life in 2015 to prevent a terrorist attack at his church.
No Paquistão, uma nação tradicionalmente islâmica, todos consideram o Servo de Deus Akash Bashir um mártir, de acordo com a agência de notícias do Vaticano. Fides. His figure has become one “that unites Christians of all confessions.” Os muçulmanos também o veneram.
“His sacrifice, giving his life to protect the innocent people praying in St. John Church in Lahore, transcends the boundaries of the Church and stands as a bridge for interreligious dialogue with the Muslim community,” Fides noted.
As part of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity activities, an ecumenical prayer service took place at his burial place in which the participants “entrusted the lives of Christians in Pakistan to the intercession of this young man.”
Entre eles estavam um padre católico, o padre Lazar Aslam, e dois pastores protestantes, I.B. Rocky e Samuel Ashan Khokhar. O último recordou aquele dia fatídico de 15 de março de 2015, quando Bashir salvou muitas vidas ao enfrentar corajosamente um terrorista que pretendia explodir-se dentro da igreja.
“I was in charge of receiving the bodies, placing them in the morgue and making a list of those who had tragically lost their lives. I remember in particular writing the name of Akash Bashir on one of the body bags,” Khokhar said.
“It was a moving moment when I saw the boy’s face. Although lifeless, I was struck by his beauty, I was deeply touched by the smile and serenity that emanated from Akash’s face. He radiated a luminous and sacred presence that recalled the first Christian martyrs,” the pastor related.
Aslam highlighted the “powerful symbol of unity and interreligious communion” that the legacy of the young Pakistani represents. “His figure attracts people of different faiths and even non-Christians who come to visit and pray at his tomb,” he said.
“It was a deeply spiritual experience, which created a deep sense of unity, recognizing each other as children of God and sharing humanity. With his sacrifice, Akash Bashir continues to inspire the Pakistani faithful to be in solidarity, to protect their faith, and to embody in daily life the values of love, peace, and dialogue with every person,” the priest said.
Quem foi Akash Bashir?
Bashir nasceu no Paquistão em 22 de junho de 1994, de uma família pobre. Estudou no Instituto Técnico Dom Bosco, em Lahore, levando uma vida familiar simples e dando um lugar importante ao desporto e à oração.
Em 15 de março de 2015, o jovem de 20 anos descobriu que uma pessoa que queria entrar na igreja estava carregando explosivos sob suas roupas. Ele tentou impedi-lo de entrar, mas não conseguiu convencer o terrorista a recuar.
Bashir then locked his arms tightly around the terrorist and said: “I will die, but I will not let you enter the church.” The attacker set off the explosives, killing himself, Bashir, and two others. With his heroic act he prevented hundreds of people from perishing during the Mass.
Today, more than 800 Catholic baptisms are celebrated annually at St. John’s Church in Lahore, and many young people have joined the active life of the parishes. Moreover, for religious minorities, Bashir is “a blessing.”
Em 2024, concluiu-se a fase diocesana da causa de beatificação e canonização de Bashir. Pakistan’s first martyr.
Esta história foi publicado pela primeira vez by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
[ad_2]
Link da fonte