His name is far less famous than Fr. Paolo
Dall’Oglio’s. He didn’t send out an appeal or make a petition and
neither was he interviewed by half the world’s media. But like Fr. Dall’Oglio, he also has an extraordinary story to tell, of a life spent sharing the Syrian people’s suffering.
It is worth getting to know this Fr. Frans van der Lugt better.
The Provincial for the Middle East Province of the Society of Jesus Jesuit, Victor Assouad, expressed great concern for this other Jesuit, in an official statement issued yesterday regarding the Dall’Oglio case.
Fr. van der Lugt lives in Homs, the Syrian martyr city par excellence, which has precipitated yet again into an abyss of violence.
The Dutch priest has been living in the Middle East for fifty years now: he came here in 1966 after a brief stay in Lebanon, where he learnt Arabic. He has a truly unique background: he is a priest and a psychotherapist. This proved to be immensely useful when it came to building bridges of peace and mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims.
In the 80’s, Fr. van der Lugt launched the Al Ard (the land) project, building a centre on a hill just a few kilometres outside Homs. The centre is part of an agricultural development programme, a spiritual place (it hosted retreats which Fr. van der Lugt preached at) and a symbol of how dialogue between men and women of different religions is possible.
In 2000 the centre became an important sign of solidarity, opening the doors to about forty young people with mental disabilities, from nearby villages. They were included in the various agricultural activities, an act of respect for their human dignity.
But this was part of Fr. van der Lugt’s everyday life before the terrible war spread to Homs last year.
After this, the Dutch priest started working in Bustan el-Diwan again, a neighbourhood in the old part of the city, where Christians used to live. Those who could, fled from here when the Islamists began their advance on the city, turning it into the main battleground for Assad’s troops.
Fr. van der Lugt decided to stay put, in the old Jesuits’ college, to take care of the weak who remained in the neighbourhood. He opened up his home to them – the house was not spared the Syrian army’s artillery fire – in an attempt to ease the physical and spiritual suffering wars always leave behind them.
During the toughest days of the first offensive in June 2012, the Jesuits had lost touch with Fr. van der Lugt. The fear that the Jabat al Nusra militia had not spared the Bustan el-Diwan community, which they had taken over, was palpable.
But those fears were dispelled, partly thanks to Fr. der Lugt’s ability to cultivate friendships with the local imams.
Today, however, the situation has flipped: now it is Assad’s army that is trying to re-conquer Homs, with rebel militias barricaded into the old part of the city, which is home to 400 thousand people and a Dutch Jesuit priest with a passion for psychology who is always there taking care of the vulnerable, right in the lacerated heart of today’s Syria.