The author of this article in AsiaNews sees small glimmers of hope in Trabzon, Turkey – the site of the murder of Italian priest Don Andreo Sanotoro on February 5, 2006 (as well as the hometown of the murderer of journalist Hrant Dink a few weeks ago):

The Turkish Internal Affairs Minister, under pressure from general protests, decided to get rid of the Prefect and the head of police of Trabzon, who had minimized the impact of the death of Don Andrea and the journalist Dink and links between the two murders with radical nationalism.

The director of the communal theatre of Trabzon, Necati Zengin, announced his respect for Armenians and Christians, so much so that since 24 December, the city theatre has been showing an Armenian opera (“Brother Baldassar”) translated into Turkish. It has already been performed 15 times and has turned out to be enormously successful, with a consistently full house and generous applause.

The muftì, under fire for neglecting the religious education of youth and for not explicitly condemning fanaticism and those who use violence in the name of God, has also acted. He declared that from 2 February, a “homily” on justice and Islamic morals will be held every Friday in all the big mosques of the city. The precepts of a good Muslim will be recalled and one fact that will be underlined is that the Koran explicitly says taking the life of a human being is a sin.

Recently, some youth in the city prepared a banquet in the central square, distributing a letter to send throughout Turkey with the slogan “Brotherhood or violence?” to show their intention of transforming the city from a place of shootings and murders to a city of peace and brotherhood.

These may be modest gestures but they are those “blades of grass amid the prairie” that Don Andrea knew how to find and appreciate. In his first letter from Trabzon, the Roman priest wrote in January 2003: “There is the need for miracles in Turkey, in the Middle East and in Europe. I must leave God more leeway, for his Word and his grace that He may accomplish them.” Now Don Andrea is no longer there, but something is happening in civil society and in the sensibilities of the local people.

And after the stones come the flowers. The door of the Church of Trabzon, which for years was a symbol of an uncomfortable presence, cumbersome and dangerous, has at times been the target of stone throwers and provocateurs of all kinds.

While the funeral of the murdered journalist was taking place in Istanbul on 23 January last, dozens of people gathered in Trabzon for a silent march and they had the courage to put red carnations on that door too in a sign of mourning and solidarity.

There is a young Polish priest who, together with a Romanian couple, is keeping the church of Santa Maria open. He continues, along the path carved out by Don Andrea, to live a style of presence, of sharing daily life in simplicity, prayer, humble testimony and welcome for whoever knocks to see or know the Christian faith. He admits there are still difficulties but says the climate is more relaxed and less hostile now.

These are small silent gestures, full of meaning. This is what a commemorative celebration that will take place on Monday 5 February in the church of Santa Maria in Trabzon, hopes to be, without great declarations and manifestations.

No pomposity, no clamorous celebrations but, as Don Andrea certainly would have wanted, there will be prayers of intercession, thanksgiving and supplication in a Eucharistic celebration among friends. Cardinal Camillo Ruini himself – who will participate in his personal capacity in the mass for his friend, son and brother in faith, Don Andrea, as he has long wanted to do at the place of his martyrdom – has made it clear that he does not want to wear the mitre and solemn vestments, preferring a more modest and reflective atmosphere, but the none the less heartfelt and profound for this.