Slain Dutch priest refused to leave besieged Syrian city
Dutch Jesuit priest Frans van der Lugt, killed by an unidentified gunman last week in Homs, had committed his life to building bridges between the Muslim and Christian communities in Syria.
AMSTERDAM — Seven years ago, Rony, 24, felt a bit scared when he attended his first church service by Dutch Jesuit priest Frans van der Lugt in Homs. As a young gay man who struggled to come to terms with his sexuality, he didn’t feel accepted by Syrian society. But after the service, Father Frans assured Rony that he was always welcome.
“'You don’t have to be ashamed,' he said, 'because God accepts all people.' A few years later, he even met my boyfriend," Rony, who doesn’t want his last name to be published, told Al-Monitor.
