Bishop Luigi Padovese and Religious Freedom

Nicholas Hamisevicz / July 09, 2010

Advocates for religious liberty and active dialogue between Christian and Muslim communities lost an influential leader with the murder of Bishop Luigi Padovese in Turkey last month. Bishop Padovese, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Turkey, pushed for greater religious freedom as the avenue for peace between religious communities in Turkey and around the world.

There is a great deal of analysis and opinion over Turkey’s drift away from its secular roots. In that light, while acknowledging that this murder may be the act of a single man, it cannot go without noting widely circulated reports that the killer shouted “Allah Akbar!” immediately after the murder. While the Turkish state is not involved in this incident, it also bears emphasizing that attacks on Turkey’s small Christian community are becoming all too common. (more…)