EU eyes Christians Murders in Turkey after Brutal Clash v. Israel and UN Iran Sanctions vote

    After Top MEPs' strong protests, EU Parliament's next Plenary in Strasbourg, due to debate Human Rights in the World at the eve of an important Brussels' EU Summit, may prepare action vis a vis Ankara after the cold-blood Murder of Christian Catholic Church's Head in Turkey, Bishop Luigi Padovese, by his Turkish Driver, at the eve of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Cyprus for a Bishops' Conference on the Middle East, the same week that Turkey violently clashed with Israel over access to Gaza accross Israeli Sea Coasts where huge Gas and Oil findings were just anounced.
    
    Adding to a recent Series of bloody Murders of Christians in Turkey during 2006-2010 years, this particularly grave incident was added only a few days after a brutal Clash provoked by Turkish activists using Bats, metal Rods, stun Grenades and Knives, reportedly even Bullets against Israeli soldiers, led them to react with questionable Force resulting into 9 dead and 25 wounded included 7 Israeli, in an exceptionally Violent push to break Gaza's Naval Blocus at Israel's South-Eastern Mediterranean Coasts, whose Oil-Gaz recent findings are expected not only to cover local needs, but also to boost Energy Exports.  

    Both unprecedented moves came shortly before a UNO's SC Resolution for Sanctions vis a vis Iranian risks for Nuclear Bomb Proliferation to spread from neighbour Pakistan up to Turkey, isolated Ankara with a 12 v. 2. vote, after Ankara failed in its attempt to get Enriched Uranium delivered inside Turkey, according to a controversial Shady deal of swap with Iran, rejected by all Mayor Players of the International Community (USA, Russia, China, France, the UK, etc).

 

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   - "Deeply shocked" by "the Murder of Bishop Luigi Padovese, ... President of the (Christian Catholic) Bishops' Conference in Turkey", the Chairman of EU Parliament's largest Group, EPP/ChristianDemocrats, Joseph Daul, "asked from the Turkish Authorities to sed full Light on such Tragic Incidents" by making an Efficient Investigation.
    
    - "Many Christian Priests have fallen Victims of Aggressions in Turkey since 4 Years", Daul denounced, reminding, among otherviolent  incidents also f.ex. that "on February 2006, a Catholic Priest, also an Italian, was Murdered in Trabzon, at the North-West. In 2007, a Catholic Priest at Smyrne/Izmir, Adriano Franchini, had been wounded when coming out of the Mass. The same year, a Commando intruded inside a Bible Publishing  House, at Malatya, in Anatolia, and killed 3 Christians, including a German Missonary", he denounced.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         - "This is a very Worrying situation" in Turkey, Top MEP Daul criticized.

 European Bishops Conferences' Council's President, Cardinal Peter Erdo, on the Murder of the Head of  the Catholic community's Head in Turkey, expressed Solidarity and denounced this "Tragic Death".

- "The Suffering" of "the Bishops, the Priests and all the Christian People of Turkey", "is also Ours", he said, transmitting a "Message" from "the b  Bishops" expressing their "Profound Grief", according to Press Agency "Zenit".

- " Such an Incident Wounds the whole Church and encourages us to remain united and faithful in our service to the Lord with renewed fervor."

- "We can't expect Justice", that "deserves this man of peace and goodness, who has always witnessed a true apostolic zeal and a great dedication to his people", but "only from the Lord",

Speaking of the "Crime" committed in Turkey, the European Religious Leader noted the "Need" to "Scrutinize and Change men's hearts", while "we also pray for the one who committed this crime", and "help us to remain Firm in faith".
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    - "Deploring this Barbaric Murder", a Message from the Italian Bishops' Conference, signed by Card. Angelo Bagnasco, promised to "Join the Pain of the local Church (in Turkey), which still is tried so very Hard".
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    The Vatican's Spokesman, Frederico Lombardi, said it was "deeply Dismayed" over Padovese's murder. "It is a Terrible act, and it leaves us deeply dismayed and naturally very sad".

    On Sunday, the Pope paid tribute to Bishop Luigi Padovese, saying the cleric was committed to interreligious and cultural understanding. Benedict said the Killing in Turkey  "Surprised and Shocked all of us."

    - "Deeply saddened by the murder", the Pope send "heartfelt condolences and the assurance of his closeness in prayer to the Bishops, Priests, Religious and Lay Faithful of the Church in Turkey", "United with all who Mourn Bishop Padovese", "as a pledge of consolation and Strength in our Lord Jesus Christ", according to a Telegram conveyed by Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
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    - The Victim "had Knife Wounds all over his body, but especially in the Heart (at least 8)",  "revealed Doctors who performed the autopsy", a    ccording to Geries Othman of AsiaNews Media website, specialized in Christian issues.

    - "His Head was almost completely Detached from his Neck, attached to his body by only the Skin of the back of the neck".

    - "The Bishop was stabbed in his House. He had the strength to go out of the door of the house, Bleeding and Crying for Help, and there he was Killed. Perhaps only when he fell to the ground, was his Head Cut off.

    - "Witnesses said they heard the bishop cry out for help. But more importantly, is that they heard screams of Murat immediately after the murder. According to these sources, he climbed on the Roof of the house shouted: "I killed the great Satan! Allah Akbar! ".

    - "This call coincides perfectly with the idea of BeHeading, .....This correlates with the murders of ultra-Nationalist groups and Islamic fundamentalists who apparently want to eliminate Christians from Turkey", Othman denounced.

    - "Apparently the perpetrator had two ... Knives with him". According to "Sister Eleonora, a Nun, who knew Padovese from her secretarial work, ....  the offender Stabbed Padoverse in the house. -"The Bishop ran away in the garden, where he collapsed," she says. The first strike broke off the blade. The killer took his victim to the garden and cried out  : -"Allahu Akbar", grabbed Padovese from Behind, and cut him with a second ...knife, ..through the Neck", denounced Boris Kalnoky of the German mainstream Newspaper "Die Welt".

    The unprecedented Brutal Murder occured in Turkey just one Day before the Victim travels to Cyprus to meet with Pope Benedict at his 1st visit to a mainly Orthodox Christian Country, where the attitude of the Church in the Middle East for the next few years was to be debated during a Special Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church, in the preoaration of which, Mgr. Padovese had participated.

    - "But", suddenly, only "an Hour before his Death, he called his Secretary to Cancel the Flight because he felt uncomfortable. This prompted speculation  in the local Christian Community "that a Confrontation might have taken place : The Bishop was under Pressure - the pressure of his Murderer", revealed "Die Welt".

    The  Personal Assistant and Secretary to Bishop Padovese for 22 years, Sister Eleanor de Stefano, from the Franciscan Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception,  recounted the last hours of the Victim in the Agency "Misna" ;     

    - Bishop Padovese had asked his Turkish Driver to accompany him to Cyprus, but the driver refused,  she explained yesterday.

    Monsignor Padovese left  the vicarage at about 11.30. "Murat met him later, and he had Lunch with Bishop Padovese to talk about the next Trip to Cyprus, where the vicar would have to be for the visit of Pope.

     At 13 o'clock, both told me to Cancel the ticket for Cyprus, since he did not feel very well, said Sister Eleanor. What happened afterwards is now in complete darkness, but the vicarage seem certain that the two men were alone at lunch when the murder occurred.
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    - "These Facts point to a Religiously motivated Murder", "Die Welt" observed.

    But "several Attacks in recent years were committed by young people, deemed "unstable" at the time, but who later proved to have connections with Ultra-Nationalist and anti-Christian groups", denounces "AsiaNews" (Italy).

     -  "To many observers it seems that governments, politicians, Turkish ...authorities are avoiding all serious analysis of these events.  The Risk is that these Violent episodes will be merely brushed off, with the excuse that they are the isolated acts of madmen, the casual gesture of an young Islamic fanatic".

    - "It's  4 Years now that many Christian Priests fell Victims of Aggressions in Turkey", denounced French mainstream Newspaper "Figaro" :

    - "Such incidents include 5 Murders and 3 other Knife Attacks of Christians, most of them near the victims' Churches or other Christian institutions, all in the past 4 Years", according to Danish Media "EuropaNews".

    - Close to the 1st visit of the Pope in Turkey, on 2006, Catholic Priest "Don Andrea Santoro was Shot and killed Feb. 5, 2006 while praying in Church in Trabzon" "The Murder had been attributed to Ultra-Nationlists", reminded "Figaro".  

    - Meanwhile, father Roberto Ferrari, was threatened with a Kebab knife in the  Church of Mersin on 11 March 2006, while French Catholic Priest Pierre Brunissen was attacked and stabbed with a Knife at the Black Sea ressort of  Samsun on July 2006. A  Slovenian Priest was grabbed by the throat, thrown into a garden and received death threats during an attack in the port of Izmir, according to "AP" and "BBC".

    - "Fr Adriano Franchini, Italian Capuchin, was Wounded in Smyrna on December 16, 2007"., while "Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was assassinated on January 19, 2007 just outside his home in a crowded street in Istanbul. The same fate for the And the even more tragic death April 18, 2007 of three Protestant Christians, including one German, Tortured, stabbed and killed while working in the Zirve publishing house in Malatya, which publishes Bibles and Christian books", denounced "AsiaNews".

    - Now, in 2010, is added even the atrocious  Murder of the Leader of Catholic Christians in Turkey", Mgr. Luigi Padovese, shortly before he takes an Airplane to meet the Pope at nearby Cyprus., observed American AP Agency (etc). Mgr Padovese "worked for Christians' Unity", and was trying to revive the Christian Community  in Turkey"', according to "AP¨" Agency.

Turkey is the only Country in the World which is paid by some 800 Millions EU Funds each Year under EU Enlargement pretext, and asks to accede to the EU, even if the current negotiations may end up with a Privileged Partnership, in which such a Series of Horrible Murders of defenseless, peaceful Religious Christian People is taking place, apparently aimed to terrorise any dissident criticism.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                According to "AsiaNews"' reporting from Turkey, "there have been Widespread Calls on the (Turkish) Authorities to Deepen their Investigations into the Motives for the Assassination".  

"Among Christians and some Turkish NGOs,  the feeling is that Investigations must not stop at the arrest of a deranged man, but dig Deeper".

"Several attacks in recent years were committed by young people deemed "unstable" at the time but who later proved to have connections with ultra-nationalist and anti-Christian groups. To many observers it seems that governments, politicians, Turkish civil authorities are avoiding all serious analysis of these events.  The risk is that these violent episodes will be merely brushed off with the excuse that they are the isolated acts of madmen, the casual gesture of an young Islamic fanatic", AN observed.

    - "Even the man who threw a Bomb Molotov against our Cathedral of Saint Polycarpos at Smyrne, was described as "Mentally ill" !", denounced Smyrna Bishop Franceschini, according to Italian News-Media "Avenire".
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Franceschini : "Armenian Genocide's History repeats itself ?  We want all the Truth !"

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=> "We seek the Truth about the Murder of Mgr. Padovese,  First and foremost", stressed experienced Smyrna Bishop Franchechini, who had already Headed the Catholic Church in Turkey before Padovese, and was named by Pope Benedict also as the new Head.

    - "The day before the funeral", I said to "the Turkish) Minister of Justice, together with the Judge supervising the Investigation into the Murder" :  - "We want the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth ! "

    - "We do Not want other Lies: ...., there was no one else involved, it was a crime of passion (etc)". On the contrary,  "Nothing must be kept Hidden”.

    - "The Judge did not say a word". "They (the Turkish Officials) had asked to see me in a Private room".
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    - Contrary to Misleading info initially given by Turkish Authorities immediately after the atrocious Killing,  "this Murder... whas an Explicitly Religious, Islamic element"

    - "I believe that ...we are faced with something that goes Beyond the Government. It points towards ...Groups who want to Destabilize".

    - "The very Modalities of the Murder aim to Manipulate Public Opinion", the experienced Bishop Franchechini denounced.

    F.ex. :  - "After having killed the bishop, ...Murat Altun shouted "I killed the great Satan. Allah Akbar ! "

     - "But this is really Strange. Murat had never before said those violent sentences. I knew him for at least 10 Years. I was the one who took him on to work for the Church.  He had never expressed himself in this way. He was not a practicing Muslim. He was a young man who had a Christian culture, without being Christian. Neither he nor his father were our enemy. In my opinion,  he was a being used like a Tool in the hands of Others".

    - "The use of Islamic ritual serves to Divert Attention: it is like suggesting that the track is Religious, and not Political", he warned.

    - "Moreover, by pushing the Religious track, that of a conflict between Islam and Christianity, Public Opinion can be Inflamed".  
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    - "And I do Not believe even the Usual, hasty ..Lie, that Murat would be "Mentally ill and addicted. He was Neither the one, Nor the other :"

    - " Days before" the Murder, "he tried to pass himself off as "Crazy", but Doctors have told him Not to show up any more,  because he is Sane", Franchechini revealed
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    - Suddenly, just 1 Day before un unprecedented Visit of the Pope in Cyprus, the Turkish "Murderer has also "confessed" Sexual motives, saying that Mgr. Padovese paid him for "services", and "claiming (that) the Bishop was homosexual".. "Turkish Police sources claim  that the Murderer is now offering a new excuse for his action: The Bishop would be an homosexual, Murat, 26, was the victim, "forced to suffer abuse. The killing of the bishop" would be "an act of "legitimate defence" (sic !). But this is a track that only aims to Confuse", denounced Franceschini.

    Meanwhile , reacting to the murderer's current story regarding his supposed motives for killing the prelate, another Catholic official in Turkey observed that, in fact, " there is still no clarity regarding his motives". Contrary to this new Turkish version, the apostolic Vicar in Instanbul, Bishop Louis "Pelâtre, characterized the Murderer's (2nd) Story as "authentic Calumnies", the Italian bishops' SIR News Agency reported.

    Pelâtre stressed that "in this moment, it is more Necessary than ever to clear this up as soon as possible. Theories circulate ..(but there is yet) lack of proof. "What (the Turkish Murderer) has done is, for the moment, Unexplainable",  "and ...Explanations must be sought".

    - "The killing of Mgr. Padovese shows an Evolution of ..the "Deep State" in Turkey : It's the first time they aim so High. So far, they had targeted ordinary priests, but now they have attacked the Head of the  Catholic Church .. in Turkey", "according to experts of the Turkish world". citerd by  "AsiaNews",

    At the same time, their actions are becoming more sophisticated, ...than before. They not only limit their defence to claims of “insanity”, already used for the murder of Father Santoro, etc., but offer more pretexts, to Confuse public opinion nationally and internationally".

    - "I suppose he had ...Lawyers ..to prepare and ensure that these Alibis, if convicted, mean (that) he could get away with just a sentence of a Few Years", speculated the experienced Mgr Franceschini, who had already served as former Head of the Catholic Church in Turkey before Pedovese's appointment on 2004.

    - In fact, "this (is a) carefully studied Murder", "within the Motive for which, could be "the desire of some sectors of the Turkish Society ... that do Not want to see Any Change", Franceschini denounced.

    - At Mgr Padovese's Funeral in Iskinderum,  "you could clearly read the thoughts of Armenians  : "History repeats itself”, perhaps thinking of what happened to the Armenians in the Genocide of the 1900’s"....
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    In the earlier case of the Sadic Torture, Mutilation and Murder of 3 Christian Protestant Bible Workers whose throats were slit, including German Citizen Tilman Geske, 45, married and Father of 2 young Children, "one of the alleged Killers is a son of a (Turkish) Mayor", according to "Wikipedia", while another reportedly said that a Turkish " journalist .. had told him that the Christian Missionaries were connected to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) : "He told me that Christianity and the missionary work done in its name had the goal of destroying .. the Motherland (Turkey). ... He told me to then get up and stop this. ....He said they would provide us with (Turkish) State support".  

    In 2008, "the judge presiding over the Malatya Murder case, ...announced that it was to be merged with the "Ergenekon" affair (of Turkish Terrorist Networks composed of Military Officers, Politicians, etc. accused to prepare Violent  Attacks by Bombs, Destructions, Murders, etc., to DestabIlize the whole country and justify further Restriction of basic liberties, even worse than today). "On July 2009 it was reported that a letter ...to prosecutors ....stated that (a Turkish) Gendarmerie Commander ... instigated the Murders". The trial still continues during 2010...
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- "Culminating"
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    Symbolically, it's at the "Culminating moment of the apostolic journey", during "the presentation of the "Instrumentum Laboris" of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops", "June 6, in the (large) Sports Centre of Nicosia, at the end of the solemn Eucharistic celebration, in which patriarchs and bishops of various ecclesial communities of the Middle East took part", together with an "unanimous participation of the People of God", both autochthons and immigrants Catholics, that Pope Benedict XVI solemnly chose to "pray..  together for the soul of the mourned Bishop Luigi Padovese, president of the Episcopal Conference in Turkey, whose Sudden and Tragic Death has left us Saddened and Dismayed",  as he denounced immediately after his return to Rome.
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     - "A Franciscan friar, Bishop Padovese had been Outspoken about the Challenges facing Christians in Turkey and had urged dialogue" to settle these problems, according to "New York Times".

    Moreover, "apostolic vicar in Anatolia since 2004, Bishop Padovese was a scholar of the History of the Church Fathers, ... interested in efforts “to resuscitate the Roots of Christianity, which spread to Europe from Asia Minor,” Archbishop Lucibello said", reported NYT.

    Mgr Padovese was preparing to meet Pope Benedict in Cyprus, for the Middle East Synod that he had contributed to set up, when he was suddenly murdered in Turkey.

    Cyprus is "part of the Holy Lands", where Unity of Christians is particularly crucial in order to face all Challenges, including that of the need to protect Religious Freedoms and Historic Christian Heritage, as well as to practice Ecumenism and InterReligious Reconciliation and Dialogue, Pope Benedict reportedly added, after meeting not only with the majority Orthodox Christians, together with strong minorities of Armenian, Maronite and Catholic Christians at the island, but also with a Muslim minority Sufi mystic.

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Turkish sources were too fast to claim, even vis a vis the Vatican, only in a few Hours time after the Murder,  that the killer had "no political motives". (In some versions, reportedly this prompt denial would have immediately added also "no religious"). ...

    , However, the Archbishop of Izmir and predecessor of the Padovese in the leadership of bishops in Turkey,  Ruggero Franceschini, is fully convinced of the folly of this claim :

    - "The Theory of the Madman who Kills, is a Commonplace, that had been used for Don Andrea Santoro, criticized Bishop Franceschini. At any case, "there can always be someone who takes advantage of psychological difficulties to push to do these things", he observed, according to New York Times.   

    In fact, the real motive of the murder of Bishop Padovese is sstill unclear : "Anything is possible". Particularly when Father Andrea Santoro, whose Murder took place on February 2006  in Trabzon, "was killed by a young (Turkish man) in an act of Political and Religious fanaticism", as reminded the Apostolic Nuncio.

- "This is something on which we have little information", initially said the Pope carefully, according to Zenit Italian Agency, only a few hours after the murder, when he was still in the Plane bringing him to Cyprus.
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A working paper released during Pope Benedict XVI's pilgrimage to Cyprus to prepare for a crisis summit of Middle East bishops in Rome in October also cites the "Extremist Current" unleashed by the rise of "Political Islam" as a Threat to Christians.

In his final Mass in Cyprus on Sunday, Benedict said he was praying that the October meeting will focus the attention of the international community "on the Plight of those Christians in the Middle East who Suffer for their  Beliefs.

"He appealed for an "urgent and concerted International effort to resolve the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, especially in the Holy Land, before such conflicts lead to greater bloodshed."

The Vatican considers  Cyprus as a Bridge between Europe and the Middle East, and invited Bishops to come to the Mediterranean island to receive the working paper to counter the exodus of thousands of Christians in recent years because of war and harsh economic conditions.
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- Mgr.Padovese's Murder in Turkey to incite Christians to Unite ?
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Pope Benedict went to Cyprus, inter alia also with a hope to try to contribute by spiritual help for the reUnification of its People in Peace, after 35 Years of Tragic Division and a persisting Turkish Military Occupation of the northern Territories of the island.

But, surprisingly, it was the sudden Human Tragedy of Mgr Luigi Padovese's atrocious Murder in nearby Turkey which stired all Christians' (Catholics, Orthodoxes,  Armenians, Protestants, Maronites, etc) Unity !

 

- The Christian Church in Turkey "is, without doubt, Prostrated, Pained, but United" : - Now, "at the Funeral of Mgr. Padovese ("held in the Cathedral of Iskenderun on June 7" ) we were ALL there: Latin, Armenian, Catholic, Orthodox, Syrian orthodox, Chaldean.  Each confession prayed ....Gathered around the Coffin", witnessed ArchBishop  Ruggero Francheschini, of Smyrna (re-named by Turkey "Izmir") to AsiaNews Christian On-line Media.

- "Sitting beside me. there was a(n) Armenian Bishop.  He could not even utter a single word: he was Devastated.  It is a reaction due to the Shock of the Death. ...there were many Chaldean Priests. There was also a Bishop of the Syrian Orthodox. All were Prostrate and Destroyed".

 - "You could clearly read the thoughts of these Armenians  : "History repeats itself”, perhaps thinking of what happened to the Armenians in the Genocide of the 1900’s"...

- Christian "Church in Turkey is ... very Diverse in different Denominations" But  "in recent times we ..learned to love each other".

- "Even the Orthodox ....now increasingly look to Rome", and "are saying that ... we (all) need to feel more United with Rome", he observed.  "We feel a little abandoned". But "the Synod Churches for Middle East" (prepared for October by Pope Benedict at Rome), should ...help mature Solidarity between us and the Universal Church".

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- "We need Solidarity, not only proclaimed, but Active" : I.e. "Aware of the Stakes", and with "real effect" : .... Something has to Change !", he stressed

- "We do not want to give up, despite the difficulties". Because "the Christian community was Born here, and here the first (Christian Ecumenical)  Councils took place, and we canNot Abandon these (Historic) places", Bishop Fransceschini concluded.
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- F.ex., in everyday practice,  - "We are Desperately trying ... to Save our Youth, who are very Badly treated in (Turkish) State Schools".

- " In Turkey there is ...No Freedom to establish Seminaries or build New Churches". "Unfortunately, ...institutions, when they see that in coming to Turkey they can Not open a home for vocations, they decide not to come".

- Thus, among "the most Urgent Needs" is "Support for our Schools. In Turkey there are" only "some schools open thanks to Old deeds, that even Outdate those of Ataturk (i.e. 1922 sic !). ... they are barely surviving. ... Unfortunately, the "Christian Brothers" have Withdrawn. Only the "Sisters of Ivrea" remain in the field of education, but they are very Old"...

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The Victim used for pro-Turkish lobby's propaganda, only a few months before the Murder !
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By an Irony of the sort, the Murdered Man had been used, only a few Months ago, by a pro-Turkish lobby Anglican Media, claiming to alleviate Turkey's notorious' Harassment and Oppression of Christians even in areas where they were an Historic Majority, by making a fuss out of a tiny, exceptional lifting of Religious Prohibitions in Turkey, under the misleading Heading : - "Turkey last year (2009) allowed Christian services at St. Paul's Church at Tarsus".  -"For the first time, Turkish Muslims have witnessed Christians, not as tourists, but as praying Pilgrims, whose devotion has made a lasting impression on the Turkish people", reportedly had said the Victim, Mgr. Padovese, according to that Anglican Journal, cited even by American Media at US President Obama's origin in Chicago, ...which rapidly withdrew its Misleading pro-Turkey Heading from its website shortly after the religious man that they citted was atrociously BeHeaded in Turkey....

In fact, as a Russian MEP denounced earlier at the CoE in Strasbourg, in a critical question to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, Turkey still insists to strictly prohibit any Religious act  (not only Mass, but even simple .. Prayer) even at the Historic, Millenary Christian Church of Saint Sophie, at Constantinople (the Millenary Capital of the Roman-Byzantine Empire, whose founder, Constantine, liberated Christians from Persecution after 330 AC, that Attaturc re-named "Istanbul" after the Armenian a.o. Genocides committed between 1910-1922), which is generally considered as one of the Architectural "Miracles" of the World. Thus, when Pope Benedict XVI had visited Turkey, back in 2005, widespread speculation and even explicit threats clearly warned against even giving the impression that he might Pray, even silently, inside Saint Sophie's Historic Cathedral, by brandishing a risk to trigger violent Turkish reactions...
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But, on June 2010, this atrocious, cold-blood Murder was objectively linked  with a Triple reference to the History of the 1st Christians :  

Because it was committed just one Day before Pope Benedict XVI visited the 1st Country in the World to adopt Christian Religion : Cyprus (since 45 AC), where he launched strong appeals for Christians to be United, as they were at the beginning of their more than 2.000 years old History. But also because Mgr Padovese's 1st Book (published since 1988) was, precisely, about : "The Scandal of the Cross : Anti-Christian polemics at the First centuries" of persecution.