AGARTALA, 23 April, 2017: The newly built Catholic Cathedral
of St Francis Xavier was blessed and dedicated today at Durjoynagar, Agartala in
the presence of a large gathering of faithful and Church dignitaries. His
Eminence, Cardinal Patrick D’Rosario CSC, DD, the Archbishop of Dhaka and the
president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Bangladesh blessed and dedicated
the newly built Cathedral. He was joined by 10 other Bishops from different
parts of Northeast India and also Delhi. Over five thousand faithful from all
parts of the State took part in the sacred ceremonies.
A TIME magazine issue in 1984 presented a startling cover. It pictured a prison cell where two men sat on metal folding chairs. The young man wore a black turtleneck sweater, blue jeans and white running shoes. The older man was dressed in a white robe and had a white skullcap on his head. They sat facing one another, up-close and personal. They spoke quietly so as to keep others from hearing the conversation. The young man was Mehmet Ali Agca, the pope’s would-be assassin (he shot and wounded the Pope on May 13, 1981); the other man was Pope John Paul II, the intended victim. The Pope held the hand that had held the gun whose bullet tore into the Pope’s body. This was a living icon of mercy. John Paul’s forgiveness was deeply Christian. His deed with Ali Agca spoke a thousand words. He embraced his enemy and pardoned him. At the end of their 20-minute meeting, Ali Agca raised the Pope’s hand to his forehead as a sign of respect. John Paul shook Ali Agca’s hand tenderly. When the Pope left the cell he said, “What we talked about must remain a secret between us. I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust.” This is an example of God’s Divine Mercy, the same Divine Mercy whose message St. Faustina witnessed.
