Death of a rebellious nun. See you Sister Emmanuelle
Article Stake Leparisien.fr (France) of 20 October 2008, freely translated by Domenico Afiero
Sister Emmanuelle's death was announced on Monday morning by Trao Nguyen, president of the Asmae-Associazione Soeur Emmanuelle association. The religious passed away, at the age of 99, 'in sleep' on the night of Sunday 19 October (2008), in the Callian nursing home (VAR) where he had lived since 1993.
'Tired', but, according to the same source, not sliced 'by any particular disease', Sister Emmanuelle, with a humble figure and a smart face, which crowded the television broadcasts and the offices of the powerful, known for its frankness, would have celebrated his hundred years on November 16, 2008. This Franco-Belgian religious and writer, aka Madeleine Cinquin, was known above all for her charitable initiatives towards Egyptian children, inserting himself in the tradition of the Abbé Pierre or Mother Teresa of Calcutta .
Egypt, land of mission
After studying theology and philosophy, Sister Emmanuelle pronounces her votes in the order of Our Lady of Zion in 1931. A year later, Sister Emmanuelle leaves Europe to teach as a missionary in the Mediterranean countries.
The Franco-Belgian nun discovers Turkey, Tunisia and, in 1956, Egypt. In 1971, at 63, he lived in Ezbeth El-Nakhl's bidonville among the marginalized of Cairo. Then he fights with all his strength for the construction of schools, kindergartens for children, of free care clinics and urges dialogue with Jews and Muslims.
Small in its gray blouse and shoes on the feet, the religious founded, in 1980, the Asmae-Association Soeur Emmanuelle Association, which helps thousands of children in various countries of the world: Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Philippines, India and Burkina Faso .
Retired at 85.
At 85, in 1993, on the order of the hierarchy, Sister Emmanuelle left Egypt and his 'marginalized friends' to retire to France. The Franco-Belgian religious, who would have preferred to die in his bidonville in Cairo, will establish himself in a community of Our Lady of Zion in the Department of the Var (south of France). The most loved nun by France dedicates his time to prayer and meditation, but he still struggles to help the homeless and illegal immigrants.
Sister Emmanuelle, who declared itself 'neither right nor left ", published several works:" Richesse de la Pauvreté "(2001)," Secrets de vie "(2000)," Yalla Les Jeunes "(1997)," Le Paradis, C'est Les Autres (1995). Finally, last August, he published a book-interview entitled 'J'Ai Cent Ans et Ja Voudrais Vous to say' (ndt. I have a hundred years old and I would like to tell you), in which he has treasured the lessons since the century he lived.
The funeral
The conference of the French bishops has communicated that Sister Emmanuelle's funeral will take place in the closest intimacy 'on Wednesday 22 October in Callian, while a mass in its suffrage, always on Wednesday 22 October, will be celebrated in the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris at 3 pm. Another mass in his memory will be celebrated, according to his will, in the chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, in Rue de Bac in Paris, Saturday 25 October at 10.30.
Sister Emmanuelle will be buried in the cemetery of the VAR Department on Wednesday 22 October, after the ceremony in the chapel of the nursing home.
Everything will take place according to his will: a very simple ceremony will take place in the chapel of the retirement home at 10.00 '. His posthumous memoirs will be published on Thursday 23 October by the Flammarion publishing house.
Original text: La Mort de Soeur Emmanuelle
