The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, recently inaugurated a memorial in Burundi to honor Archbishop Michael Aidan Courtney, a nuncio who was tragically slain. This event highlights Courtney’s significant contributions to peace in the region and the enduring impact of his untimely death. This article delves into the life of Archbishop Courtney, the circumstances surrounding his death, and the subsequent events that underscore his legacy as a messenger of peace.
Michael Aidan Courtney dedicated his life to serving others, navigating complex political landscapes, and fostering reconciliation in conflict-ridden areas. His assassination in Burundi marked a profound loss for the Catholic Church and the international community. This article explores his early life, career, and the events leading to his death, shedding light on his unwavering commitment to peace.
We will examine Courtney’s early life and career, the events of the day he was killed, and the aftermath of his death. By exploring these aspects, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of Archbishop Courtney’s life and legacy.
Who was Archbishop Courtney?
Michael Aidan Courtney was born on Feb. 5, 1945, in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland. He was the youngest of seven children born to a medical doctor, Louis Courtney, and his wife, Elizabeth, an artist. His early life suggested a path to greatness. He attended Clongowes Wood College, a prestigious Jesuit-run high school that also features in James Joyce’s “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.”
Courtney excelled both academically and in sports at Clongowes Wood College. A teacher reportedly remarked that “Ireland isn’t big enough for that fellow.” His entry in the “Dictionary of Irish Biography” describes him as “a man of immense physical and mental energy,” with hobbies including swimming, tennis, horse riding, skiing, windsurfing, and sailing.
He initially considered following his father into medicine but instead chose to study economics and law at University College Dublin. His peers anticipated a career in politics, expressing surprise when he decided to become a priest.
Courtney explained his decision: “I thought priesthood was where you lived not for yourself but for other people. I had two options: either become a successful lawyer, marry, and have a family, or to choose a way whereby you do not live for yourself but for other people.” After studying at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, he was ordained for the Clonfert diocese in 1968, serving in parishes and as a chaplain to miners.
He returned to Rome for postgraduate studies, eventually enrolling at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the training center for Vatican diplomats, often called the “school of nuncios.” His first diplomatic posting was to Apartheid South Africa in 1980, followed by assignments in Zimbabwe and Senegal.
Courtney believed it was essential to learn the local language in each of his postings. In addition to English, Irish, Latin, and Greek, he learned Italian, Spanish, French, German, Serbo‑Croat, Hindi, and Kirundi, Burundi’s national language.
During his time at the apostolic nunciature in India, he helped prepare for Pope John Paul II’s 1986 state visit. Later, he was sent to Yugoslavia, the only Vatican diplomatic outpost behind the Iron Curtain, and then to Cuba.
In Cuba, he developed a rapport with Fidel Castro, noting their shared Jesuit education. He is credited with facilitating John Paul II’s historic 1998 trip to Cuba. After a period in Egypt, he supported the Vatican delegation at the 1994 UN population conference in Cairo and volunteered at an orphanage run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.
In 1995, he was appointed as the Vatican’s special envoy to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. In 2000, he became the apostolic nuncio to Burundi, an East African nation with a population of 14 million, approximately two-thirds of whom are Catholic.
Burundi in 2000: A Nation in Crisis
In 2000, Burundi, a nation roughly the size of Maryland, was in turmoil following the assassination of its first elected president, Melchior Ndadaye, in 1993. Ndadaye, a member of the Hutu ethnic group, was killed by Tutsi soldiers, igniting violent clashes between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority.
The ensuing civil war lasted seven years, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. Amid this conflict, Cardinal Francis Arinze, then-prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, ordained Courtney as a bishop on Nov. 12, 2000, at St. Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, Courtney’s hometown.
Arinze stated in his homily that Courtney was being sent to Burundi, a nation plagued by violence, as an ambassador of forgiveness, reconciliation, and charity. When Courtney arrived in Burundi on Dec. 3, 2000, his aircraft was met with gunfire. He faced two more shooting incidents in his first three years, though he was not injured.
The archbishop quickly became a respected mediator between the government and rebel groups. In 2002, he played a key role in securing the release of a kidnapped bishop.
By December 2003, only one rebel group, the National Forces of Liberation (FNL), had not signed a peace agreement with the government. Courtney was scheduled to become the nuncio to Cuba in January 2004 but believed the FNL was close to committing to peace. He canceled his Christmas leave and received permission to stay in Burundi for an additional month.
What happened on the day he died?
On Dec. 29, 2003, Courtney attended a priest’s funeral outside Bujumbura, the capital city. After the funeral, his car, marked with the Vatican flag and diplomatic license plates, traveled along the RN3, a main road back to Bujumbura. Besides Courtney, the car carried a driver, a hitchhiker, and a priest.
Approximately two miles from Minago, gunfire erupted from a nearby hill. The 58-year-old archbishop was hit in the head, shoulder, and leg. Of the car’s occupants, two were unharmed, while the priest sustained minor injuries.
The car’s tires were shot, slowing their progress to the Prince Louis Rwagasore Clinical Hospital in Bujumbura, where Courtney died on the operating table.
Immediate Response to the Assassination
The Burundian authorities immediately recognized the shooting as a deliberate act. President Domitien Ndayizeye stated, “It was not an accident; he was killed.” The Vatican also referred to it as an “assassination.”
The shooting occurred in an area known to be an FNL stronghold, leading the Burundian government to accuse the rebel group. However, the FNL vehemently denied any involvement, even threatening a local archbishop who doubted their denial.
Courtney’s funeral Mass was held on Dec. 31, 2003, at Bujumbura’s Regina Mundi Cathedral. Burundi’s bishops noted that the archbishop had worked “day and night, without ceasing” to promote peace through dialogue.
They stated, “He spared no effort to bring all Burundians together, excluding no one. In that way, he wished to show that there is no way to save our country except that of dialogue, consultation, and the definitive rejection of murder and assassinations as a political means.”
Funeral and Tributes
The nuncio’s body was returned to Ireland, where a funeral Mass was held on Jan. 3, 2004. The service took place at St. Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, with Cardinal Arinze, who had ordained Courtney as a bishop three years prior, officiating.
Arinze commented, “I cry for this heinous act of a few tragically misguided people in Burundi, people of violence who must not be allowed to give a negative image to a whole people. I thank the Church in Ireland for having given to the universal Church in Archbishop Courtney a splendid witness who gave his life for Christ and the Gospel right up to the shedding of his blood. I pray for the conversion of all people of violence in Burundi and everywhere else in the world.”
The cardinal also quoted Courtney’s will: “Let my first words be addressed to the One who called me to serve Him in the priesthood and to be a Minister of His compassion, goodness, closeness, and love to all of those whom Providence has destined me to encounter — in two parishes in the Diocese of Clonfert in Ireland and in various countries where I have served as a representative of the Holy See. As I have ministered his pardon to others, I now place myself in His hands and beg His mercy and forgiveness for my own sins and shortcomings in his service.”
Courtney was buried in a cemetery at Dromineer, a peaceful village on the shore of Lough Derg, where he owned a vacation home.
Legacy and Memorials
At a 2006 Mass, Courtney’s friend, Bishop John Kirby, reflected: “Two years have passed since the day we buried him in a beautiful graveyard beside Lough Derg. We did not know then why he had been killed. There is every chance we never will.”
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin inaugurated a memorial to Archbishop Michael Aidan Courtney in Burundi. Parolin laid flowers at the memorial, which features a Celtic cross, a photograph of Courtney, and a plaque stating, “he gave his life for peace.”
Parolin also laid the first stone of a health center to be built in Courtney’s honor, recognizing him as the first nuncio to die violently in over 500 years.
Conclusion
Archbishop Michael Aidan Courtney’s life was marked by a profound commitment to peace, reconciliation, and service to others. From his early days in Ireland to his diplomatic missions across the globe, he consistently demonstrated a dedication to fostering understanding and resolving conflict.
His tragic assassination in Burundi stands as a stark reminder of the risks faced by those who work tirelessly for peace in conflict zones. Despite the circumstances of his death, Courtney’s legacy endures through the memorials erected in his honor and the continued efforts to build a health center in his name.
Archbishop Courtney’s life serves as an inspiration, urging us to embrace dialogue, reject violence, and strive for a world where peace and justice prevail. His memory remains a beacon of hope for those who seek to build bridges and heal divisions in our world.
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