Discussion:Petelo Olombe

Prison

«Reportedly among the worshipers but unrecognized was the man convicted of killing her, former Simba rebel Col. Pierre Olombe, now a beggar and devout Roman Catholic. He was condemned to death for the assault and served five years in prison before being pardoned by Mobutu. A number of other rebels involved in the attack on the convent were never tracked down.

Through a local newspaper editor, Olombe had expressed a wish to see the pontiff and ask forgiveness. The editor passed the request along, together with the information that the girl's parents had already forgiven Olombe.

In his homily at the beatification ceremony, the pontiff recalled that Marie Clementine's fellow nuns had reported that her last words before being clubbed to death with rifle butts were the same as those as those attributed to Jesus Christ--"I forgive you for you know not what you do."

Like Christ, she forgave, and like Christ, "she accomplished her sacrifice" the Pope said. Then in a departure from his prepared text he added: "And I myself, in the name of the whole church, I forgive with all my heart."

A Vatican spokesman said the Pope meant his forgiveness to apply to all who were involved in the incident that resulted in the nun's beatification, the first step to sainthood in the Catholic Church.

Although Olombe was not recognized at the Mass, fellow members of Marie Clementine's religious order said he was there, and that earlier he had visited the convent begging for food.» Los Angeles Times, August 16, 1985, http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-16/news/mn-3016_1_pope-beatifies-nun

Ordre d'un supérieur?

«La nuit du 1er décembre 1964 deux jeunes Simba tuèrent à coups de baïonnette Clémentine Anuarite, 25 ans, religieuse de la congrégation Sainte Famille (Jamaa Takatifu). C'était à Isiro, dans une habitation appelée la «Maison Bleue». Le colonel Pierre Olombe, qui avait donnait l'ordre d'en finir avec elle, expliquera plus tard que la décision avait été prise par le colonel Ngalo. Un crime gratuit, dans lequel, à la conclusion d'un procès ouvert en 1978, l'Eglise a reconnu la présence des signes d'un vrai martyre.» Afrique Espoir, N° 28 Octobre - Décembre 2004, http://www.afriquespoir.com/Ae28/page4.html