Fr Antuan, a Turkish bishop for the earthquake victims in Iskenderun
Pope Francis appointed Fr Ilgit, JS, as auxiliary bishop to Bishop Paolo Bizzeti, apostolic vicar of Anatolia. The new prelate wants to be a sign of hope for a Church that “is small but rich in cultures”. A convert to Catholicism in 1997, he will be the first bishop of Turkish descent. This is a sign of "great hope for the young people of Turkey”.
Milan (AsiaNews) – Fr Antuan Ilgit, the first Jesuit of Turkish descent, has been appointed bishop by Pope Francis.
Only a few months ago, on 6 February, when a devastating earthquake struck his country, he found himself sifting through the rubble of the cathedral of Iskenderun (Alexandretta) to salvage the Eucharist from the tabernacle.
At 51, he becomes auxiliary bishop for the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia, where he was already serving as vicar general along with his confrere, Bishop Paolo Bizzeti.
His appointment represents a sign of the pope’s close interest for the quake-affected community.
Just a few weeks ago, during the World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, Francis sought out young people from the affected area, accompanied by Fr Antuan. The pontiff’s decision to appoint for the first time as ethnic Turk to the post is historically significant for the Church in Turkey.
Born in Germany in 1972, the new prelate hails from a Muslim migrant family. He moved to Turkey at a very young age, and later studied economics graduating from Gazi University in Ankara.
During his stay in the capital, he converted to Catholicism and was baptised in 1997 at the Church of St Teresa. He then undertook studies and the novitiate which ended in his priestly ordination and the celebration of the first Mass in 2010, which AsiaNews reported.
Now, Bishop Antuan, who was assigned the titular see of Tubernuca, will serve as auxiliary bishop alongside the vicar, Bishop Bizzeti, in a huge region, which includes the cities of Antakya (Antioch), Adana, Mersin, and Trabzon, marked by the blood of martyrs like Bishop Luigi Padovese and Fr Andrea Santoro.
The new prelate was surprised by his appointment. "I received the news while in Malta for spiritual exercises,” he told AsiaNews.
“I wanted to take a break to pray and rest. It is a great grace to receive this appointment as auxiliary bishop for the vicariate during my spiritual retreat. I shall serve the Church.”
"God's plans are greater than men’s. Just a year ago, I made the fourth vow of the Society of Jesus, that of obedience to the pope for the missions.
“Now, precisely because of this fourth vow, I have accepted the appointment as bishop, aware that in my country we need Turkish bishops, nuns, priests, religious.
“I hope to render a good service as a Turkish bishop. As auxiliary bishop, I want to serve the vicariate and the whole church of Turkey.”
For Bishop Antuan, the goal is to “help Bishop Paolo and together bring hope to earthquake victims, rebuild the cathedral and houses, and assist the refugees. We have a lot of work to do, in harmony; I feel part of a service of charity for all of Turkey”.
Talking about the WYD where he met Pope Francis, the new bishop noted that in Lisbon the pontiff said that “there is room for everyone in the Church. He repeated it three times.
"Even in the Church of Turkey there is room for everyone, and I will be one of them all. I will try to serve everyone. In Turkey the Church is small but rich in cultures, languages, colours and now has a Turkish bishop who will try to keep all these elements together.”
For him, his appointment is a sign of "great hope, for the young people of Turkey too. One of theirs has become a bishop, a sign of the pope's trust in young people in a Church that until now has been mostly foreign.”
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