Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News Australia

France needs to return to God, Brisbane Frenchman says

byEmilie Ng
18 November 2015 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA

Parisian prays: Prayers went out to victims of the Paris attacks on November 13.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Parisian prays: Prayers went out to victims of the Paris attacks on November 13.
Paris prays: A Parisian man prays for victims of the November 13 Paris attacks on Place de la Republique.

CHRISTIAN Pradayrol reached for his worn Rosary beads and a telephone the moment he learnt Paris was in desperate need of prayers. 

Mr Pradayrol, a Marseille-born Frenchman working for Brisbane-based Catholic charity Rosies, has spent part of each day for most of his life praying a decade of the Rosary for France to turn back to God.

On November 13, he called on God and Our Lady of Lourdes to protect his French people, and tried to contact friends he made from his time living in Paris as a university student, praying they weren’t in danger, or worse, dead.

“Thank God everyone is fine,” he said.

“It’s very tense, especially (since) that it is the second attack this year.”

Christian Pradayrol
Praying for France: Christian Pradayrol outside the Carmelite Monastery in Ormiston in 2014, has been praying the Rosary for his country France since he was a child.

Mr Pradayrol had returned from Mass with the enclosed Carmelite Sisters in Ormiston when he first saw the footage of the planned terrorist attacks in Paris bars, clubs, a concert hall and a football stadium leaving at least 132 dead and more than 350 wounded.

Extremist militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) claimed responsibility of the deadly assault days after the targeted attacks, confirmed by French president Francois Hollande, who ordered France’s borders be closed the night of the horror.

Witnesses reportedly heard the terrorists crying “Allahu Akbar”, an Arabic term for “God is great”.

“Obviously it gets personal when it’s at the heart of Paris,” Mr Pradayrol said.

“But when I heard they (the terrorists) were doing it in the name of God, I really took it to heart.”

Related Stories

The light of the Risen Christ brings hope to the world

The joy of hobbits is found in the story of Christ

ACU Book of Prayer invites God into ups and downs of student life

Mr Pradayrol said his family, who have a tradition of praying a decade of the Rosary for France’s conversion, and many other Catholics had been expecting the attacks.

“There are a lot of social issues, and there have been a few signs in the last decade, a few incidents, where we knew (the attacks) would happen,” he said.

But the diligent Catholic said the shock and horror of the planned terrorist attacks could be a wake-up call for the country.

“I saw people on television praying in Paris, and I think through difficulty and tough times it can bring God back,” Mr Pradayrol said.

“I pray France turns back to God.”

Mr Pradayrol joined Francophiles in a minute of silence in King George Square in Brisbane on November 16, organised by the Union des Francais de l’Etranger (Union of French Abroad).

In Paris, thousands filled Notre Dame Cathedral inside and out on Sunday evening for a memorial Mass for victims of the massacre.

Cities worldwide shone red, blue and white lights on famous buildings and bridges, including Sydney’s Opera House and Harbour Bridge, signalling the tricolore, France’s official flag.

“All this support across the world is beautiful,” Mr Pradayrol said.

“To have the support means we are not alone.”

Paris archbishop Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, in a November 14 statement, prayed for grace to be “artisans of peace”.

“We ask for the grace to be artisans of peace. We need never despair of peace if we build on justice,” he said.

Holy See spokesman Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi released a statement hours after the attacks, which said the Holy See was “shocked by this new manifestation of maddening, terrorist violence and hatred” which Pope Francis condemned.

But while ISIS had claimed to be behind the attacks, Pope Francis said no religion or human could justify killing innocent people.

“This is not human,” the Holy Father said.

“I am close to the people of France, to the families of the victims, and I am praying for all of them.”

By Emilie Ng.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Lebanese, Syrians celebrate 90 years in Brisbane

Next Post

Catholic awards honour the humble

Emilie Ng

Emilie Ng is a Brisbane-based journalist for The Catholic Leader.

Related Posts

Invited to prepare a way for the Lord, make room in heart
Faith

The light of the Risen Christ brings hope to the world

16 April 2022
The joy of hobbits is found in the story of Christ
Faith

The joy of hobbits is found in the story of Christ

11 March 2022
Prayerful resource: “I imagined staff and students being given a prayer book, published by their university, which they could use to find solace and support during their time here.”
QLD

ACU Book of Prayer invites God into ups and downs of student life

10 February 2022
Next Post
Winners of The Community Leader Awards 2015

Catholic awards honour the humble

Blessing Queensland's seminary building

New Queensland seminary building to school future priests in mission

Catholic MP says Vic Govt wants to "crush Catholic influence" with same-sex adoption

Popular News

  • Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

    Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Christian Brothers’ community mourn the passing of Brother Tony White

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Vatican

All Catholics invited to pray rosary for peace with Pope Francis next Tuesday

by Staff writers
27 May 2022
0

By Catholic News Agency THE Vatican is inviting Catholics to join Pope Francis in praying the rosary...

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

27 May 2022
Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

26 May 2022
Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

26 May 2022
Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

26 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping