The Desecration of Isis and What We Can Do About It.

Two days ago, I witnessed something I never thought I would see in my lifetime, a Catholic Church being destroyed, burnt to the ground. Isis Militants in the Southern Region of the Philippines invaded a church, ransacking the sanctuary, throwing statues to the ground, smashing them into nothing. Among the statues that were desecrated was a beautiful icon of the Blessed Virgin and a Crucifix. Both completely destroyed, stomped upon, a hammer used to break apart what was left.[i]

When I saw this on a Facebook Live Feed, at first, I had to a do a double take. Disbelief turned to anger, anger was warped into rage, rage morphed into sadness.

“How could they do this to us? How can they so blatantly desecrate one of our sacred spaces?”

Truth be told, I had no idea what to think. There is a part of you that wants to go over there and take care of the problem yourself. When it comes to acts of terrorism and genocide, there can be no negotiation. Military intervention is needed to subdue and wipe out the threat.

But what of us who are not trained soldiers? How can we respond to such vile hatred, anger and evil?”

The answer can be found in the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who came face to face with the dregs of evil purveyed by Nazism.

In 1939, Germany invaded Poland, destroying her army in a matter of weeks. Father Maximilian’s friary, called “The City of the Immaculate” was taken over by the occupying forces. He and many of his Franciscan Brothers were imprisoned at an interment camp. They were released a few months later, on December 8, 1939, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.

When they returned to the friary, they were in a state of shock at what they witnessed. Before the war, Kolbe’s friary housed the largest Catholic Publishing House in the world. Many pieces of printing equipment were carted off for use in Germany. The friary was trashed. A statue of the Blessed Mother, which stood at the friary gate, was thrown to the ground, shattered into pieces. Icons of saints were desecrated. World maps had Poland cut out from them.[ii]

As the friars looked on in disbelief, one man went to work immediately cleaning everything up. Father Maximilian did not complain or utter any words of condemnation against the Nazi’s. He went about restoring the friary, fixing the damage and lifting up the spirits of his fellow friars, who upon seeing his inspiring example, joined in restoring what had been desecrated.[iii]

There is a beautiful message God is telling us through Kolbe. When God allows evil to take place, he opens the door for good to have the final say. When he allows something to be taken away, he provides the opportunity for greater restoration.

Through great devotion to Our Lady, Father Kolbe did restore what had been taken away from his friary, both materially and spiritually. He housed 1500 Jews, providing food, shelter and clothing. Though he was forced to provide shelter for wounded German soldiers, Kolbe visited them, sharing his faith and love with the enemy. Even a few German commanders told his fellow contemporaries, “You have a good and noble prior.”[iv] He used part of the friary to fix and manufacture farm equipment. Through great persistence he was able to publish one final issue of his periodical, Knight of the Immaculata.[v]

Just as Kolbe restored the Church and gave her great hope in Poland, in the United States, we have a chance to restore what has been taken from our Church, even the Church in the Middle East and the Philippines.

Every attack against the local church, impacts the Universal Church. War on one sect of Catholicism is a war on the Catholic Church. Isis, is only part of the equation. Heretics have arisen in our own Faith. Cardinals have risen against Cardinals, Bishops against Bishops. The Culture of Death continues to ravage hearts, minds and homes. Pornography is a Public Health Crisis. Catholics are viewed as “bigots” who need to get with the times.

However, the chaos of the storm is greatest right before it dissipates. It cannot block the glory of the sun forever. As Catholics, we can bring light to the world by genuinely loving others (Charity) and willing their good; in a word, desiring Heaven for them. Like Kolbe, we can pray to Our Lady, (Faith) that she crushes evil in the hearts of so many. She crushed the head of the serpent once. She desires to do it in each of our lives. Every Hail Mary crushes Satan’s plan for our demise.

Lastly, we can spread the joy of Hope, knowing that the final victory has already been won. Death will never have the final word, the love of the Father in Heaven will. When we practice these three Theological Virtues, we show those around us the Face of the Father, a Father who longs to redeem everyone and bring them home to be with him forever.

[i] Barnes, Luke. ISIS thugs in the Philippines film sacrilegious rampage as they smash statues, tear up pictures of the Pope then TORCH a Catholic Church in Marawi.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4572818/ISIS-thugs-Philippines-TORCH-Catholic-Church.html. Daily Mail Online. June 5, 2017. June 12, 2017.

[ii] Treece, Patricia. A Man For Others. Maximilian Kolbe. The Saint of Auschwitz in the words of those who knew him. Libertyville, Ill. Franciscan Marytown Press. 1982. P. 114

[iii] Treece, Patricia. A Man For Others. Maximilian Kolbe. The Saint of Auschwitz in the words of those who knew him. Libertyville, Ill. Franciscan Marytown Press. 1982. P. 114

[iv] Treece, Patricia. A Man For Others. Maximilian Kolbe. The Saint of Auschwitz in the words of those who knew him. Libertyville, Ill. Franciscan Marytown Press. 1982. P. 124-125

[v] Treece, Patricia. A Man For Others. Maximilian Kolbe. The Saint of Auschwitz in the words of those who knew him. Libertyville, Ill. Franciscan Marytown Press. 1982. P. 116-118