U.S. forces get their man

Police stand near a wanted poster of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, printed by a New York newspaper in September 2001. Photo by Russell Boyce, Reuters / CNS.

It was expedient that one man die for the people

"In the face of a man's death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred," Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, the Vatican spokesman, said in a statement.
The Vatican statement was released the day after U.S. President Barack Obama announced that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden in an attack on his hideout in Abbottabad in northwest Pakistan. In several U.S. cities, the news prompted street demonstrations and expressions of jubilation.

Christians in Pakistan were worried about a backlash against them. Father Mario Rodrigues, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Pakistan, explains. Father Rodrigues also gave a talk to the U.S. national meeting of Pontifical Mission Societies. Hear his talk (10-minute video).