French ecumenical leader Brother Roger Shutz had a very positive influence on Irish people, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said last night.
The Taize community head (90) died instantly on Tuesday when he was stabbed three times in the throat by a Romanian woman during a prayer service attended by 2,500 people.
The Taoiseach also recalled the ecumenical leader's inspirational visit to Ireland in 1985. A memorial service will be held for Brother Roger at Dublin's Pro Cathedral on September 16th.
He founded the Taize monastic community in Burgundy in east France in 1940 at the age of 25.
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The community attracts tens of thousands of people every year for spiritual reflection, prayer and meditative church music.