Brother Roger Murdered

Those of you that are familiar with Taize worship, this man was the leader of the Taize community. He was a leader in peace and reconciliation work and the world will miss him greatly. Rest eternal oh lord grant him, and let light perpetual shine upon him. Amen.

BBC Article:
Christian leader stabbed to death

Brother Roger is known by thousands of young Christians

The 90-year-old founder of the French-based Taize Christian ecumenical community has been stabbed to death at a prayer service.

Police detained a woman after the assault on Swiss-born Roger Schutz, who was known as Brother Roger.

Around 2,500 young people were at the Reconciliation church in Burgundy at the time of the attack.

Brother Roger founded the community during World War II to provide refuge to people of all Christian churches.

Brother Alois, 51, nominated by Brother Roger as his successor, was returning from the World Youth Day jamboree in Cologne to take his place, a community spokesman said.

Taize unites members of several Christian denominations from some 30 countries and attracts tens of thousands of young people each year for prayers and meditation.

Shock and confusion

Some of those at evening prayers on Tuesday are reported to have overpowered a Romanian woman after Brother Roger was stabbed.

Brother Roger was one of the best loved Christian leaders of our time Dr Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury

The public prosecutor in nearby Macon, Jean-Louis Cost, said there seemed little doubt that the attack was premeditated. He said the woman had bought a knife the day before and "the intention to kill was obvious".

Mr Cost said her explanation was not clear at this stage, but she said she had tried for several months to contact Brother Roger - who was no longer granted private meetings.

He added that he had ordered that a psychiatric examination of the woman be carried out.

Pope Benedict XVI, due to travel to Cologne on Thursday for World Youth Day, said he was particularly dismayed at news of Brother Roger's death as he had received "a moving letter from him" only this week

Brother Roger had written to say he was sorry that he could not attend the celebrations himself because of his ill-health.

The death has horrified Christians around the world

The news of the horrific death sent shockwaves through the Christian world:

• German Prelate Heiner Koch said all the participants in World Youth Day were praying for "this great figure"

• The president of the French Bishops' Conference, Archbishop of Bordeaux Jean-Pierre Ricard, expressed "deep grief" for the loss of "this great figure of a researcher and witness of God, impassioned by unity among Christians and reconciliation"

• The Church of England's Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said it was an " indescribable shock" to lose "one of the best-loved Christian leaders of our time"

• The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, who had personal links with Brother Roger, described him as "one of the great visionaries of our time - a man of love and reconciliation who inspired young people all over the world to pray and to know God".

Shamlessly lifted from: BBC News