Why do I present these martyrs from far off places? To show the goodness and mercy of our fellow humans, who seek for peace for us all, and who die for the effort. As long as fanatics roam amidst us, there will be martyrs for the cause of justice, freedom and peace. Bishop Barron recently said that we have had more martyrs for the faith in the last century than in all the centuries since Christ combined! Staggering!
FATHER PAOLO DALL’OGLIO another Jesuit martyred in theMiddle East was an Italian born in 1954. He was exiled from Syria
FATHER PAOLO DALL’OGLIO another Jesuit martyred in the
In 1984, Father Dall'Oglio was ordained priest in the Syriac Catholic rite. In the same year, he obtained a degree in Arabic language and Islamic studies from Naples Eastern University "L'Orientale" and in Catholic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1989, he obtained a PhD degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University
In 1992, he established the mixed monastic and ecumenical Community al-Khalil ("the Friend of God" - Biblical and Qu'ranic byname of the patriarch Abraham in Arabic language), dedicated to Muslim-Christian dialogue and located in the refurbished Deir Mar Musa.
In 2009, Father Dall'Oglio obtained the double honorary doctorate of the Université catholique de Louvain and the KU Leuven. He contributed regularly to the magazine "Popoli", the international magazine of the Italian Jesuits, established in 1915.
In 2011, Father Paolo Dall'Oglio wrote an article pleading for a peaceful democratic transition in Syria Homs
The Syrian government reacted sharply and issued an expulsion order. Paolo Dall'Oglio ignored the order for a couple of months and continued living in Syria Syria
In December 2012, Paolo Dall'Oglio was awarded the Peace Prize of the Italian region of Lombardy that is dedicated to persons having done extraordinary work in the field of peace building.
In late July 2013 Paolo Dall'Oglio entered rebel held territory in eastern Syria Ar-Raqqa
Before his kidnapping, he had served for three decades at the Deir Mar Musa, a 6th-century monastery 50 miles north of Damascus. He has been credited with the reconstruction of the Mar Musa complex and its reinvention as a center of interfaith dialogue.
