Mehmet Ali Agca attempted to kill the Pope in 1981. Nearly 30 years later, he is asking to be baptized by the Pope.
There is a possibility that Agca may be released from prison in January of 2010. Through his attorney, Agca has expressed a desire to be baptized a Roman Catholic and that he hoped the Pope might baptize him in St. Peter's Basilica.
Many pundits have expressed that this may be a publicity stunt devised by Agca and/or his attorney as the date for his potential release draws near. That may very well be the case. However, if Agca is willing to go through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), he should have the opportunity to become a Roman Catholic.
If he were to be baptized by the Pope, it would certainly send an incredible message about forgiveness and help us recognize that no individual is ever forsaken by God. God reclaimed St. Paul. Why couldn't the same thing happen with Agca?
To see a Los Angeles Times story about Agca's desire to convert, go to: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=7573306. Note: Read the story somewhat carefully. Does it seem to give the impression that one must have to have a questionable mental state in order to want to convert to Christianity?
No comments:
Post a Comment