When I saw the news today I was shocked to learn that Luminiţa Solcan, the lady in question, hangs between life and death having been stabbed by her roommate in the mental hospital ( in Dijon) that she has been confined to since that fateful day.
Some would say that Ms Solcan deserves what she has received, comments on newspaper sites that have run the story go along the lines that she deserved it, that you reap what you sow. But whilst those people are saying “an eye for an eye” I would agree more with Mahatma Gandhi when he said "An-eye-for-an-eye-for-an-eye-for-an-eye ... ends in making everybody blind". She should be brought to justice, she should be made to accept what she has done no matter her mental state and that she should apologise and ask for forgiveness, she shouldn’t be stabbed to death.
What will be in the minds of the brothers of Taizé as they hear this news, will she be in their prayers at the moment? Will they be able to repeat the prayer spoken by Brother Alois at Frère Roger’s funeral: “God of goodness, we confide to your forgiveness Luminiţa Solcan, who in an act of illness put an end to the life of our Brother Roger. With Christ on the cross we say: Father, forgive her, she does not know what she has done.” I hope so.
The photo is from the Taizé website. Copyright © Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, 71250 Taizé, France.
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Hi Sue,
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog when I was wondering just what happened Luminata Solcan, a woman who will forever live in my experience. Thanks for your blog and your 'Taize from the outside' sense! Very respectful and accurate. I am Irish, living in the US and have been going to Taize since I was 16 - it's my second home. And I was there when Br. Roger was stabbed to death by Ms. Solcan. I will never forget it obviously but it's what happened afterwards in the Community that needs to be expressed. WE were brought into the Church about 2 hours after it happened, around 11.45pm and we prayed for her particularly and ourselves, the community and the world that knows violence. Br. Francois spoke about how Fr. Roger and God were friends and when a friend dies, you cry and so tonight, God is crying for his friend. But we must forgive her for she did not know what she was doing. Never before had those words actually meant what they said.
Since then, I have often wondered what happened to her. I knew that she was in Dijon, not able to be tried and sentenced as she was unfit to stand trial. I saw her - she is mad, in the true sense of the word. She is so sick and so in need of prayer.
The Community were prepared for Br. Roger's death, they even asked him if he collapsed in the prayer with a stroke or something, what were they to do? And he came back with "Continue with the Prayer, don't stop the Prayer" and that's exactly what we did. The Brothers told us as just as we needed them, they needed us... I am very privileged and honored to have been there for those days. And Br. Roger is a saint as far as I am concerned! Thanks for your blog - I love that part of France too and not just because of Taize!
Thank you for those words Lisa, it must have been a very dramatic time for all concerned. Since I wrote this blog, I have found out that Luminiţa Solcan survived the stabbing and she is still incarcerated in the mental hospital in Dijon. She certainly needs all our prayers.
DeleteI will never forget Brother Roger. I assure you: He must be in HEAVEN.
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