CathNews - a Service of Church Resources

Have Your Say 

Recent Comments

1. This brings to mind the story of the murderer of Maria Goretti. After having received the forgiveness of Maria (on her death bed), and her family, he eventually converted and became a Capuchin laybrother.
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Goretti

   Posted By: arabella

2. Homophobia (Hate) does great damage to human lives. Even for those who dare stand up for the marginalised, they do so at their peril with threats from the empire and the imperial religion (and their secret police).
   
   Good on Tony Blair for daring to stand up against prejudice and discrimination affecting one minority group of people.
   

   Posted By: TJ Lawson

3. If true, this is wonderful news. God always takes good out of evil. Unfortunately, desperate Lefties both within and outside the Church will be sceptical.

   Posted By: Michael Bernard

4. If true, it could be a very interesting witness.
   
   His potential conversion comes with baggage. It will be sadly & morbidly interesting, but potentially eye-opening, to see if Agca's apostasy comes complete with Koran-mandated death sentence, and how quickly, whether by 'the state' or by Jihadists, even in secular Turkey.
   
   We can pray that a Cold War funded Jihadist may actually have turned to peace, and that he'll be allowed (by himself & others) to live peaceably.

   Posted By: Paul

5. Agca was the instrument of the attempted Papicide, but he was not the "author" of it. He was carrying out a plan invented by and under the direction of the USSR KGB and its Bulgarian equivalent, in concert with a Turkish jihadist group.

   Posted By: Ronk

6. This has possibilities as a show.'Failed hit man finds true love'.I can see a book,screen rights and stage play here not to mention the action models post market.

   Posted By: Lewis P Buckingham

7. If this is a sincere conversion praise be to God. This may have a profound effect on other muslims. However I feel this is wishful thinking on my part. Let us wait and look the fruits that may come from this conversion.

   Posted By: elizabeth hughes

8. More blessed grace to Agca. I have always prayed for his conversion to The Truth. I shall continue to pray (with John Paul II the Great) that he grow in the Faith and become all God wants him to be. Truly he is blessed.

   Posted By: Mary Michael

9. TJ please clean your room in the basement! You left your star wars suits all over the floor! I thought you said having a 45 year old son move back in would be a help!!!

   Posted By: Mom Lawson

10. It would be a miracle if he was sincere, and a testament to John Paul II's sanctity. But, given his past, Agca should not be allowed near the Vatican until he completes RCIA and regularly attends Mass and Confession for at least a year at a local Church near where he lives, and has shown himself to be truly converted. Benedict XVI may not want to take the risk of a feigned conversion, which Agca could use to approach and attack him.

    Posted By: Steve Z

11. Nothing is impossible with God!
    
    Divine Mercy is for each and every one of us who feels true contrition for his/her sins.
    
    Thank you Lord and thanks to the Servant of God, JPII for your witness on earth and your intercession from Heaven!

    Posted By: Diane Michali

12. God has once again chosen a great persecutor to become a great defender of the Faith. St. Paul persecutor in Rome allowed himself death for Christ. It also reminds me of Eugenio Zolli (chief Jewish rabbi of Rome) converting to Catholicism after WWII based on the Catholic witness to Life that has been twisted throughout history. It also reminds me of former founder of NARAL Bernard Nathanson coming into the church after publishing lies and distorting Catholic views, persecuting Catholics for their stance on abortion. He fully admits this. The Catholic Church has no power to change her stance on any issue. That is what the world cannot understand. Praise be to God that it does not have the power. And she will always be hated for it, from the inside and the outside. Thank you Pope John Paul II for your example of forgiveness. You cared enough for the soul of Mehmet Ali Agca to visit him personally, not seeking your own restitution but that someone might know there is redemptive love as Christ showed on the Cross.

    Posted By: Jan Marie

13. This good news but at the same time I pray for his safety -- every Muslim now has a fundamental duty (according to the Koran) to Kill him.
    
    Go read Islam Sword of the Prophet by Serge Trifkolvic... after reading you will know why.

    Posted By: Ed Kasprzycki

14. TJ,
    
    Either there's a bug in the Cathnews system which let you think you were commenting on the Tony Blair story, or your single-minded criticism of Christ's church is causing more problems for you than you realise.
    
    I'm assuming the former is the case.

    Posted By: Paul Keen

15. Good news surely? I mean, generally whom do we expect to convert? saints or sinners?
    
    At the very least he is not lukewarm. I say good on you Agca, c'mon in, the water's fine!

    Posted By: matthew

16. Not far; for two or three years, this guy said that Vatican had offered him big money to be catholic after John Paul II had visited him, but he rejected this. Then he said he was a good muslim and for nothing in the world he would change his religion.

    Posted By: kitty

17. CONVERSION OF THE HEART IS THE MOST PROFOUND EXPERIENCE THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A PERSON'S LIFE. COMING HOME TO ROME IS A ULTIMATE PLACE TO BE AT PEACE AND EMBRACING THE CATHOLIC FAITH IS A VERY UNIVERSAL THING TO DO. READ JOHN 17. ITS THE LAST PRAYER OF JESUS BEFORE DEATH.

    Posted By: MGM

18. May God bless Agca and protect him from his enemies. May Jesus and Mary lead him to a place of refuge in the Holy Catholic Church.

    Posted By: Full of Life

19. True conversion is not about good feelings but involves human intellect. Faith is adherence to the Truth revealed by God as taught by the Church.

    Posted By: Donatus Justin

20. It's not a sincere conversion. Wake up, fellow catholics. A sincere conversion is not announced with trumpets and sounds, but done quietly, almost un-noticed. Wake up, catholics.

    Posted By: Joselito Paraiso

21. The excessive scepticism, bordering on cynicism, expressed by some is uncharitable. Give the man the benefit of the doubt. It takes a very brave Moslem to convert to Christianity. Agca's earlier anti-Christian comments may have been under duress, or he may well have had a quite sudden conversion from Christ-hater to Christ-lover, as has often happened. He may well have felt that as someone who was already well known, it was safer to publicise his conversion in the West rather than "doing it quietly".

    Posted By: Ronk

22. How can anyone of us, no matter which faith, honestly judge this man's heart? Isn't that only for God to do? We can only take him at his word; God is the only One who knows the heart. Pray for him regardless of what we may think, either good or bad.

    Posted By: Susan H.

23. When a person has a profound conversion experience, they want to shout it from the mountaintops, in the hopes of changing other hearts along with theirs. I pray for Agca, that he continue to seek out the Living God, as time will show the world that he's a changed man.

    Posted By: ginamarie9143

24. TJ Lawson, I think that you got the wrong story to post that comment, enlightening though it seems to be of your condoning of sin.

    Posted By: Peter

25. Joselito,
    
    Give him the benefit of the doubt, mate! He may well have wanted a quiet unnoticed conversion, but given his history, it's unlikely anyone would let him have it, right?
    
    At any rate, let's pray that his conversion is a bit more sincere than Tony Blair's!

    Posted By: Paul Keen

26. I agree 100% with Steve Z. He has to finish the RCIA course under close supervision and have that one year "probationary period" just to make sure of the genuine conversion. Then, let us welcome him to the fold! - Rolly Lirio

    Posted By: Rolando S. Lirio

27. Mr Lirio, the purpose of the RCIA is to instruct the catechumen in the Faith so that he is aware of what he is doing when he receives baptism. If there is any doubt about an enquirer's genuineness in asking to join the Church, that should be resolved BEFORE he is enrolled as a catechumen and commences the RCIA process. There is no "probationary period".

    Posted By: Ronk

28. WONDERFUL!!! I WISH MORE WILL COME BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONG. GOD BLESS.

    Posted By: rosalina a. macalalad

• » Advertise in CathNews

Email to Friend Please fill out the following details (fields marked with a * are mandatory):
Send To Email Address*:
Send To Name *:
Sent By Email Address*:
Sent By Name *:
Text to include in email:
Captcha validation:	please enter the code above:

^ Page Top

Comment on this article

More from this section

1. Glendon declines honour from Notre Dame over Obama

   Harvard professor and former US ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon, has declined a major award from the University of Notre Dame in protest over the university's decision to grant President Barack Obama an honorary doctorate.

2. More US womenpriests excommunicated

   Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali has said that two women who underwent a "pseudo-ordination" on Sunday have been automatically excommunicated as a result of their act.

3. World's oldest Benedictine monk dies

   The world's oldest Benedictine monk, Fr Theodore Heck, has died aged 108 at St Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana.

4. Pope says sorry to native Canadians

   In a much anticipated meeting with members of Canada's First Nations, Pope Benedict has apologised for the physical and sexual abuse and "deplorable" conduct at Catholic Church run residential schools.

5. Blessings but no annulment for Gibson

   Mel Gibson has reportedly consulted Vatican officials to enquire about obtaining an annulment of his 28 year marriage to wife Robyn only to be rebuffed but US prelates are praying for him after the actor dropped in on a bishops' conference.