Priest Stabbed by Muslim

An Italian priest, Father Adriano Franchini (65), was stabbed in the stomach by a 19-year-old Muslim man outside St. Anthony Church in the city of Izmir, Turkey on December 16. According to the Turkish newspaper "Hurriyet," Father Franchini and the assailant, Ramazan Bay, had a brief conversation after mass in which Bay expressed his interest in becoming a Christian. During the discussion, Bay suddenly became angry and stabbed Father Franchini. In his statement to the police, Bay reportedly said that his actions were influenced by an episode of a television program that depicts Christian missionaries as political "infiltrators" who pay poor families to convert to Christianity. Father Franchini is in stable condition.

Ask God to give healing to Father Franchini. Pray that those who accuse Christians of forcible conversion will see that that the Gospel message is one of a free gift, not coercion. Pray for the salvation of Ramazan Bay.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Turkey, go to the Turkey Country Report.

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  • Country Information

    Population
    83,593,483 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Turkish (70-75), Kurdish (19), other minorities (7-12)

    Religion (%)
    Islam (99.8), other (0.2)

    Leader
    President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2014)

    Government type
    Parliamentary republic

    Legal system
    Civil law system derived from various European continental legal systems

    Sources: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Turkey

    Prayerfully uphold those who have had their churches and places of worship taken over by a government that does not represent their beliefs, values or ordinances. Ask the Lord to oversee the mediation process as church officials and government representatives endeavour to work out a solution that is both honouring to Him and fair to all the members of the various churches. Despite the challenges experienced by the believers of this country, may they have a sense of God's reassuring presence and peace, knowing that one day He will reign supremely and justly over the entire earth.

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Türkiye News

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    Photo: Wikimedia / chansey (cc)

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    Photo: Article18

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    Photo: Facebook / Joy Subaşıgüller

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Türkiye Videos

 
Turkey: Andrew Brunson's Testimony
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Turkey: God’s Hostage, the imprisonment of Andrew Brunson
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Turkey: Malatya Martyrs
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