Daniel and Leila Abdallah at WMOF 2022
By Benedict Mayaki, SJ
June 27 2022
The Abdallahs, Daniel and Leila, are parents of seven whose lives were overturned two years ago by the deaths of three of their children at the hands of a drunken driver. The couple told their story at the 10th World Meeting of Families, reflecting on how their faith has led them toward forgiveness.
Daniel and Leila Abdallah share their personal story with fellow Catholics from around the world gathered in Rome for the 10th World Meeting of Families (22 – 26 June) in order to encourage them to “hold on to Christ, embrace suffering and offer it up to the cross,” even when life is difficult.
The Maronite Christian couple – parents of seven children – who gave a presentation on the fourth day of the 5-day event “on paths of holiness”, narrated the tragedy they went through on 1 February 2020 when a drunk and drug-affected driver killed three of their children: daughters Sienna and Angelina, son Anthony, and their niece Veronique Sakr.
It is a story of pain, of disbelief, of a family shattered and a community in mourning, but it is also a story of love, forgiveness and healing, as the couple continues on the path to holiness.
Choosing to forgive
During the speech, Leila tells of her choice to forgive the driver who caused her and her family so much pain. When asked by the media about her feelings, she said, “I don’t hate him; I think in my heart I forgive him, but I want the court to be fair.” She notes that she did not know the impact of these words yet she believes that “the Holy Spirit moved my lips to speak words of forgiveness.”
Daniel, for his part, said he realized that whatever reaction he would have could determine where he and his family “would be” for the rest of their lives.
“I chose to forgive myself for telling my kids to go for a walk,” he said. “I chose to forgive the offender in obedience to my Father in heaven. If my children were here today, they would say, ‘Dad, forgive him.'”
From pain to forgiveness
The couple from Australia spoke to Vatican News in an interview on the sidelines of the WMOF, sharing their testimony of love in spite of the loss of three of their children.
Daniel insists that the depth of forgiveness they have as a couple has also taught them so much about each other and about the way they look at each other. He adds that in spite of the occasional arguments, they have learned how to come back to a place of forgiveness because “there are sometimes things that are not worth holding on to.”
His wife, Leila, shares his viewpoint, noting that some couples get divorced because they do not know how to forgive each other.
