Vigils Reading

Christmas Eve In Algeria

An excerpt from The Last Monk of Tibhirine

Christmas Eve arrived. Jean-Pierre was in the sacristy getting the liturgical instruments and the vestures ready for midnight Mass, while the prior was in his office; Michel was in the kitchen preparing hot cocoa… Suddenly Jean-Pierre heard strange whispering sounds. He assumed it was Celestin, whose health was delicate…but then he saw that Celestin was threatened by a young man in military uniform who was squatting on the ground armed with a Kalashnikov rifle. Christophe and Philippe fled into the cellar. The armed man had the order to round up the brothers in the guesthouse. Luc, the medical doctor, slept exceptionally well that night and did not notice a thing. When Jean-Pierre saw how they led Michel away, who was a particularly sensitive man, the following words from the Bible came to mind: “Like a sheep you led me to the slaughter.”

In the front yard of the guesthouse there he was…Syad-Attia, the dreaded boss of the gang. Jean-Pierre heard a member of the flying squad talking in Arabic to the priest and the two students: “We won’t harm you. We are fighting against the government.” Yet Sayad demanded in a sharp voice: “I want to see the pope of this corner here.” Paul hurried to call Christian, who was in his cell, but the latter answered in unbelievable calmness: “I am not in a hurry.” When he went down the staircase, he said in a voice so everyone could hear him: “One does not come to this place in arms. If you want to have a dialogue, then the weapons have to go. This is a house of peace, or we will discuss it outside the gate.” Basically, his words were quite audacious, but Sayad followed him to an area beyond the chapel and related his conditions.

First he demanded that Luc should accompany him into the mountains in order to tend to a wounded man. The prior refused because this could have been interpreted as partisanship for the GIA [the Groupe Islamique Armé – Armed Islamic Group]. Then the terrorist leader asked for medication, but Christian pointed out that Luc suffered from asthma and could not leave the ward. He added that no matter who came to ask him for help would be treated, and that the medication supply was only enough for the population of the village. Finally, Sayad demanded money. Christian emphasized that the monastery was not wealthy and lived off the toil of their hands. “But I know that you are rich,” Sayad interrupted him. Yet he received the following answer: “We live off what we have and still give to the poor.”

Then the prior dared to ask a counter question that could have cost him his life: “Are you aware on what day you appear before us? We are getting ready for tonight’s celebration of the arrival of our Prince of Peace, Sidna-Aissa.” “We did not know this,” Sayad answered, “but we will return.” Sayad extended his hand to the prior, who hesitated to shake it because it was smudged with the blood of the Croatians, but then returned the gesture.

Jean-Pierre was deeply impressed by the courage his prior had shown by starting a discussion with a terrorist in such a precarious situation. Christian had looked in Sayad’s eyes both with determination and gentleness. He believed in the power that such an encounter at eye level could have. Soon after, he wrote his testament in which he described it as “VISUALIZING.” When Amedee…woke up Luc…and told him that the GIA had shown up…the latter just shrugged his shoulders