Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., “Evil Will Not Be Neutral To Good,”

The loss of Father van der Lugt has stirred profound emotions among his confreres of the Society of Jesus in the United States, many of whom told the Register that they see him as a martyr for Christ. Jesuit Father Mitch Pacwa, noted linguist, Old Testament scholar and an EWTN host, said he believed Father van der Lugt’s goodness stood out in contradiction to Islamist extremists among the rebels trying to take over. “Evil will not be neutral to good,” he said, because the presence of goodness “is a threat to its existence.” Father Pacwa pointed out that Father van der Lugt teaches Christians that solidarity means recognizing the human dignity of one’s enemies, and instead of seeking revenge, to pray for them and forgive them — even those who falsely think martyrdom is losing one’s life to kill other people. “In Father van der Lugt’s martyrdom, he died among his own people, defending them. That’s true martyrdom,” he said. “We have to identify with the martyrdom that’s like Christ’s: learning to be a victim in the face of these other problems.”

Link (here) to the National Catholic Register