1.1 In in urbe the city magnā great quae which caput the capital est is terrae of the land quam which Pākistānam Pakistan vocant they call —diē on the day Veneris of Venus quō on which fidēlēs the faithful eōrum their ad to precēs prayers commūnēs common conveniunt gather —homō a man quīdam a certain templum the temple quod which Domum the House Khadījae of Khadija Magnae the Great appellant they call intrāre to enter cōnātus having attempted est is
1.2 Custōdēs the guards eum him ad at iānuam the door interclūdere to intercept cōnātī tried sunt they —ille he autem however prīmum first sclopēta firearms in against eōs them ēmīsit discharged deinde then ignem fire et and ferrum iron quae which sub under veste his clothing celāverat he had hidden inter among ōrantēs those praying dētonāvit he detonated
1.3 Ūnus one et and trīgintā thirty hominēs people statim immediately perīērunt perished —centum one hundred et and sexāgintā sixty novem nine vulnerātī were wounded sunt were —inter among quōs whom puerī children erant there were et and senēs old men et and patrēs fathers quī who cum with fīliīs their sons suīs their own ad to precēs prayers vēnerant had come
1.4 Corpora bodies iācēbant were lying in on tapētibus the carpets precātōriīs of prayer —sanguis blood per across pavīmentum the floor sacrum sacred fluēbat was flowing —fragmenta fragments vitrī of glass et and lapidis stone cum with carne flesh hūmānā human permixta mixed erant were
1.5 Hominēs people quī who in in genua on their knees prōcubuērunt had knelt down ut in order to Deum God adōrārent worship in on eīsdem those same genubus knees mortuī dead inventī were found sunt were
2.1 Sunt there are multa many genera kinds malōrum of evils —sunt there are quī those who ob for avāritiam greed occīdunt kill —sunt there are quī those who ob for potestātem power —sunt there are quī those who ob from furōrem madness —sed but hoc this genus kind omnibus of all dēterius worse est is quod which hominēs kills people interficit kills IN IN IPSŌ THE VERY ĀCTŪ ACT ŌRANDĪ OF PRAYING
2.2 Nam for quī the one who hominem a man ambulantem walking occīdit kills hominem a man occīdit kills —quī the one who hominem a man dormientem sleeping occīdit kills hominem a man occīdit kills —sed but quī the one who hominem a man ōrantem praying occīdit kills et both hominem the man occīdit kills et and ōrātiōnem the prayer ipsam itself violat violates
2.3 Hōc for this reason sacrilēgium sacrilege vocātur it is called —quia because nōn not sōlum only homō a man laeditur is harmed sed but sacrum the sacred ipsum itself —id that est is relātiō the relationship illa that inter between hominem a human being et and Deum God quae which in in precātiōne prayer exprimitur is expressed
2.4 Ōrātiō prayer est is via a road inter between terram earth et and caelum heaven —quī the one who viam the road illam that frangit breaks nōn not contrā against hominem a man sōlum only bellum war gerit wages sed but contrā against Deum God ipsum himself
3.1 Sed but hoc this maximē especially horrendum horrible est is —quod that homō the man ille that quī who sē himself inter among ōrantēs those praying dīsiecit blew apart hoc this sē himself Deī of God’s causā for the sake facere to do crēdidit believed
3.2 Ō o stultitia foolishness omnium of all stultitiārum foolishnesses ultima the last et and summa the greatest —Deum God colere to worship sē himself putat he thinks dum while cultōrēs the worshippers Deī of God interficit he kills
3.3 Nam for quārē why illī those hominēs people in in templō the temple erant? were —nōn not ut in order to malum evil facerent they might do —nōn not ut in order to bellum war parārent they might prepare —nōn not ut in order to cuiquam anyone nocērent they might harm —sed but ut in order to Deum God ūnum the one adōrārent they might worship —eundem the same Deum God quem whom interfector the killer ipse himself sē himself colere to worship profitēbātur professed
3.4 Quid what ergō then dīcēmus? shall we say —sī if Deus God ūnus one est is —et and ūnus one est he is —tunc then quī the one who cultōrem a worshipper Deī of God occīdit kills Deō God ipsī himself iniūriam an injury facit does —et and maximē especially sī if hoc this Deī of God’s nōmine in the name facit he does —nam for tunc then nōn not sōlum only homicīda a murderer est he is sed but et also sacrilegus a sacrilegious man et and blasphemus a blasphemer
3.5 Deus God nōn does not potest is able colī to be worshipped per through sanguinem the blood innocentium of the innocent —hoc this prīmum first est is inter among omnia all praecepta commandments —hoc this omnis every sapientia wisdom antīqua ancient docuit has taught —hoc this ūniversa the universal nātūra nature hūmāna human sī if nōn not corruptā corrupted sit it be agnōscit recognizes
4.1 Semper always docuī I have taught quod that sapientia wisdom vēra true nōn does not sōlum only apud among nōs us invenitur is found —nam for etiam even gentēs the nations quae which Chrīstum Christ nōn did not cognōvērunt know vestīgia traces vēritātis of truth habent have
4.2 Hermēs Hermes Trismegistus Trismegistus docuit taught Deum God ūnum one esse to be —Sibyllae the Sibyls dē of iūdiciō the judgment dīvīnō divine vāticinābantur prophesied —ipsī the very philosophī philosophers cum when rēctē rightly ratiocināntur they reason ad to ūnum one Deum God perveniunt they arrive
4.3 Et and hominēs the people illī those quī who in in templō the temple Khadījae of Khadija ōrābant were praying —Deum God ūnum the one adōrābant were worshipping —eundem the same Deum God quem whom Ābraham Abraham adōrāvit worshipped —eundem the same quem whom Moysēs Moses agnōvit recognised —eundem the same quem whom nōs we per through Fīlium the Son ēius his colimus worship
4.4 Differunt they differ modō in the manner colendī of worshipping —hoc this nōn I do not negō deny —sed but Deus the God quem whom quaerunt they seek ūnus one est is —et and quī the one who eum him quaerentem seeking occīdit kills Deum God ipsum himself repellit repels
4.5 Dīcō I say clārē clearly —melius it is better est is Deum God imperfectē imperfectly quaerere to seek quam than perfectē perfectly nōlle to refuse —et and melius it is better est is Deum God per through errōrem error colere to worship quam than cultōrēs the worshippers ēius his per through furōrem madness interficere to kill
5.1 Nunc now cōgitāte think about quid what acciderit happened in in illō that momentō moment
5.2 Homō a man in on genibus his knees est is —oculōs his eyes clausit he has closed —cor his heart suum his own ad towards Deum God levāvit he has lifted —et and fortasse perhaps in at ipsō the very momentō moment quō in which verba the words —”Deus God miserēre have mercy meī” on me —in on labiīs his lips ēius his erant were —ignis fire eum him absumpsit consumed
5.3 Ōrātiō a prayer incēpta begun et and numquam never fīnīta finished in on terrā earth
5.4 Sed but errāre to err nōlī do not —ōrātiō the prayer illa that nōn was not periit lost —Deus God eam it audīvit heard antequam before fīnīrētur it was finished —immō rather audīvit he heard eam it antequam before inciperet it began —nam for Deus God cor the heart legit reads nōn not labia the lips
5.5 Et and dīcō I say vōbīs to you —ōrātiō the prayer illa that quae which in on terrā earth interruptā was interrupted est was in in caelō heaven complēta was completed est was —et and Deus God eam it accēpit received grātiōrem more pleasing quam than sī if mīlle a thousand precēs prayers in in pāce peace dictae were said essent had been —quia because sanguis the blood eam it sīgnāvit sealed
6.1 Patientia the patience Deī of God nōn is not est is indifferentia indifference —hoc this semper always dīxī I have said et and numquam never dīcere to say it dēsinam shall I cease
6.2 Sed but hīc here addendum must be added est is —inter among omnia all genera kinds malōrum of evils quae which īram the anger Deī of God excitant arouse sacrilēgium sacrilege est is gravissimum the most serious
6.3 Nam for Deus God patientiam patience habet has ergā towards multōs many quī who eum him ignōrant are ignorant of —patientiam patience habet he has ergā towards quī those who ab from eō him āvertuntur turn away —patientiam patience etiam even ergā towards quī those who eum him negant deny —sed but ergā towards quī those who sacra sacred things violant violate —ergā towards quī those who cultum the worship ipsum itself dēstruunt destroy —ergā towards quī those who sanguinem blood in in locō a place sacrō sacred effundunt pour out —Deī God’s patientia patience est is brevissima shortest et and īra anger longissima longest
6.4 Ego I haec these things nōn not ex from librīs books sōlīs alone dīcō do I say sed but ex from oculīs my own eyes meīs my own
6.5 Vīdī I saw enim for ecclēsiam the church Nīcomēdiēnsem of Nicomedia prīmā at the first lūce light dēmōlīrī demolished —vīdī I saw scrīptūrās the scriptures sacrās holy in into ignem the fire iacī thrown —vīdī I saw locum the place ubi where fidēlēs the faithful Deum God adōrāverant had worshipped in into ruīnam ruin et and pulverem dust cadere fall
6.6 Et and vīdī I saw quid what Deus God persecūtōribus to the persecutors illīs those fēcerit did —Dioclētiānus Diocletian quī who iussit ordered ecclēsiam the church dēstruī to be destroyed in in dēmentiā madness periit perished —Gālerius Galerius quī who prīmus the first persecūtiōnem the persecution suāserat had urged morbus a disease eum him tam so foedus foul consumpsit consumed ut that corpus his body ēius his ante before mortem death iam already cadāver a corpse esset was
6.7 Nōmina the names mūtantur change —facta the deeds eadem the same manent remain —et and Deus God quī who Dioclētiānum Diocletian nōn did not oblītus forget est did eum the one quī who sē himself inter among ōrantēs those praying dētonāvit detonated nōn will not oblīvīscētur forget
7.1 Dīcunt they report puerōs that children quoque also inter among mortuōs the dead fuisse were —patrēs fathers enim for fīliōs their sons suōs their own ad to precēs prayers addūxerant had brought ut so that discērent they might learn Deum God colere to worship
7.2 Pater a father quī who fīlium his son ad to Deum God dūcit leads optimum the best opus deed facit does quod that pater a father facere to do potest is able —et and ille that man quī who patrem the father cum along with fīliō his son occīdit killed IN IN HOC THIS IPSŌ VERY ĀCTŪ ACT pessimum the worst opus deed facit does quod that homō a man facere to do potest is able
7.3 Nam for nōn not sōlum only vītam life abstulit he took away sed but et also viam the way quā by which vīta life ad towards Deum God tendēbat was reaching —prīncipium the beginning religiōnis of religion in in puerō a child —prīmam the first precātiōnem prayer —prīmum the first gaudium joy praesentiae of the presence dīvīnae divine
7.4 Sī if quis anyone arborem a tree novellam young ēvellit uproots malam a bad rem thing facit does —sed but sī if eam it ēvellit uproots dum while flōrēscit it is blossoming crūdēlissimē most cruelly facit does he act —nam for nōn not sōlum only arborem the tree perdidit he destroyed sed but et also flōrēs the blossoms et and frūctūs the fruits quī which futūrī to come erant were
8.1 Et and nunc now dīcō I say ad to Deum God ipsum himself
8.2 Tū you quī who omnēs all precēs prayers audīs hear —audi hear precēs the prayers quae which interruptae interrupted sunt were —complē complete quae what homō man complēre to complete nōn was not potuit able
8.3 Et and eum the man quī who sē himself nōmine in your name tuō your inter among ōrantēs those praying dēstruxit destroyed —nē do not sīveris permit impūnītum unpunished —nōn not quia because vindictam vengeance amō I love sed but quia because vēritās truth exigit demands ut that sacrilēgium sacrilege sine without respōnsō a response nōn not maneat remain
8.4 Patientia your patience tua your longa long est is —sed but nōn not īnfīnīta infinite —et and sanguis the blood quī which in in templō a temple tuō your effūsus was poured out est was clāmat cries out ā from terrā the earth sīcut just as sanguis the blood Ābēlis of Abel ōlim once clāmāvit cried out
8.5 Audi hear —audi hear —audi hear
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1.1 In urbe magnā quae caput est terrae quam Pākistānam vocant — diē Veneris quō fidēlēs eōrum ad precēs commūnēs conveniunt — homō quīdam templum quod Domum Khadījae Magnae appellant intrāre cōnātus est.
1.2 Custōdēs eum ad iānuam interclūdere cōnātī sunt — ille autem prīmum sclopēta in eōs ēmīsit, deinde ignem et ferrum quae sub veste celāverat inter ōrantēs dētonāvit.
1.3 Ūnus et trīgintā hominēs statim perīērunt — centum et sexāgintā novem vulnerātī sunt — inter quōs puerī erant et senēs et patrēs quī cum fīliīs suīs ad precēs vēnerant.
1.4 Corpora iācēbant in tapētibus precātōriīs — sanguis per pavīmentum sacrum fluēbat — fragmenta vitrī et lapidis cum carne hūmānā permixta erant.
1.5 Hominēs quī in genua prōcubuērunt ut Deum adōrārent in eīsdem genubus mortuī inventī sunt.
2.1 Sunt multa genera malōrum — sunt quī ob avāritiam occīdunt — sunt quī ob potestātem — sunt quī ob furōrem — sed hoc genus omnibus dēterius est quod hominēs interficit IN IPSŌ ĀCTŪ ŌRANDĪ.
2.2 Nam quī hominem ambulantem occīdit hominem occīdit — quī hominem dormientem occīdit hominem occīdit — sed quī hominem ōrantem occīdit et hominem occīdit et ōrātiōnem ipsam violat.
2.3 Hōc sacrilēgium vocātur — quia nōn sōlum homō laeditur sed sacrum ipsum — id est relātiō illa inter hominem et Deum quae in precātiōne exprimitur.
2.4 Ōrātiō est via inter terram et caelum — quī viam illam frangit nōn contrā hominem sōlum bellum gerit sed contrā Deum ipsum.
3.1 Sed hoc maximē horrendum est — quod homō ille quī sē inter ōrantēs dīsiecit hoc sē Deī causā facere crēdidit.
3.2 Ō stultitia omnium stultitiārum ultima et summa — Deum colere sē putat dum cultōrēs Deī interficit.
3.3 Nam quārē illī hominēs in templō erant? Nōn ut malum facerent — nōn ut bellum parārent — nōn ut cuiquam nocērent — sed ut Deum ūnum adōrārent — eundem Deum quem interfector ipse sē colere profitēbātur.
3.4 Quid ergō dīcēmus? Sī Deus ūnus est — et ūnus est — tunc quī cultōrem Deī occīdit Deō ipsī iniūriam facit — et maximē sī hoc Deī nōmine facit — nam tunc nōn sōlum homicīda est sed et sacrilegus et blasphemus.
3.5 Deus nōn potest colī per sanguinem innocentium — hoc prīmum est inter omnia praecepta — hoc omnis sapientia antīqua docuit — hoc ūniversa nātūra hūmāna sī nōn corruptā sit agnōscit.
4.1 Semper docuī quod sapientia vēra nōn sōlum apud nōs invenitur — nam etiam gentēs quae Chrīstum nōn cognōvērunt vestīgia vēritātis habent.
4.2 Hermēs Trismegistus docuit Deum ūnum esse — Sibyllae dē iūdiciō dīvīnō vāticinābantur — ipsī philosophī cum rēctē ratiocināntur ad ūnum Deum perveniunt.
4.3 Et hominēs illī quī in templō Khadījae ōrābant — Deum ūnum adōrābant — eundem Deum quem Ābraham adōrāvit — eundem quem Moysēs agnōvit — eundem quem nōs per Fīlium ēius colimus.
4.4 Differunt modō colendī — hoc nōn negō — sed Deus quem quaerunt ūnus est — et quī eum quaerentem occīdit Deum ipsum repellit.
4.5 Dīcō clārē — melius est Deum imperfectē quaerere quam perfectē nōlle — et melius est Deum per errōrem colere quam cultōrēs ēius per furōrem interficere.
5.1 Nunc cōgitāte quid acciderit in illō momentō.
5.2 Homō in genibus est — oculōs clausit — cor suum ad Deum levāvit — et fortasse in ipsō momentō quō verba — “Deus miserēre meī” — in labiīs ēius erant — ignis eum absumpsit.
5.3 Ōrātiō incēpta et numquam fīnīta in terrā.
5.4 Sed errāre nōlī — ōrātiō illa nōn periit — Deus eam audīvit antequam fīnīrētur — immō audīvit eam antequam inciperet — nam Deus cor legit nōn labia.
5.5 Et dīcō vōbīs — ōrātiō illa quae in terrā interruptā est in caelō complēta est — et Deus eam accēpit grātiōrem quam sī mīlle precēs in pāce dictae essent — quia sanguis eam sīgnāvit.
6.1 Patientia Deī nōn est indifferentia — hoc semper dīxī et numquam dīcere dēsinam.
6.2 Sed hīc addendum est — inter omnia genera malōrum quae īram Deī excitant, sacrilēgium est gravissimum.
6.3 Nam Deus patientiam habet ergā multōs quī eum ignōrant — patientiam habet ergā quī ab eō āvertuntur — patientiam etiam ergā quī eum negant — sed ergā quī sacra violant — ergā quī cultum ipsum dēstruunt — ergā quī sanguinem in locō sacrō effundunt — Deī patientia est brevissima et īra longissima.
6.4 Ego haec nōn ex librīs sōlīs dīcō sed ex oculīs meīs.
6.5 Vīdī enim ecclēsiam Nīcomēdiēnsem prīmā lūce dēmōlīrī — vīdī scrīptūrās sacrās in ignem iacī — vīdī locum ubi fidēlēs Deum adōrāverant in ruīnam et pulverem cadere.
6.6 Et vīdī quid Deus persecūtōribus illīs fēcerit — Dioclētiānus quī iussit ecclēsiam dēstruī in dēmentiā periit — Gālerius quī prīmus persecūtiōnem suāserat morbus eum tam taeter consumpsit ut corpus ēius ante mortem iam cadāver esset.
6.7 Nōmina mūtantur — facta eadem manent — et Deus quī Dioclētiānum nōn oblītus est eum quī sē inter ōrantēs dētonāvit nōn oblīvīscētur.
7.1 Dīcunt puerōs quoque inter mortuōs fuisse — patrēs enim fīliōs suōs ad precēs addūxerant ut discērent Deum colere.
7.2 Pater quī fīlium ad Deum dūcit optimum opus facit quod pater facere potest — et ille quī patrem cum fīliō occīdit IN HOC IPSŌ ĀCTŪ pessimum opus facit quod homō facere potest.
7.3 Nam nōn sōlum vītam abstulit sed et viam quā vīta ad Deum tendēbat — prīncipium religiōnis in puerō — prīmam precātiōnem — prīmum gaudium praesentiae dīvīnae.
7.4 Sī quis arborem novellam ēvellit malam rem facit — sed sī eam ēvellit dum flōrēscit crūdēlissimē facit — nam nōn sōlum arborem perdidit sed et flōrēs et frūctūs quī futūrī erant.
8.1 Et nunc dīcō ad Deum ipsum:
8.2 Tū quī omnēs precēs audīs — audi precēs quae interruptae sunt — complē quae homō complēre nōn potuit.
8.3 Et eum quī sē nōmine tuō inter ōrantēs dēstruxit — nē sīveris impūnītum — nōn quia vindictam amō sed quia vēritās exigit ut sacrilēgium sine respōnsō nōn maneat.
8.4 Patientia tua longa est — sed nōn īnfīnīta — et sanguis quī in templō tuō effūsus est clāmat ā terrā sīcut sanguis Ābēlis ōlim clāmāvit.
8.5 Audi — audi — audi.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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