Tuesday, January 18, 2005
^ Back to vegasmike433's PhotosTuesday, January 18, 200510:41:52 AMViewed 2 times
Vatican: Kidnapped Iraq Bishop Freed; No RansomTue Jan 18, 8:38 AM ET By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Iraqi Catholic archbishop of Mosul who was kidnapped at gunpoint on Monday was freed on Tuesday morning without a ransom being paid, the Vatican (news - web sites) said. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said Pope John Paul (news - web sites) was immediately informed of the release of Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa, 66, and "thanked God for the happy ending to this episode." In expressing the Vatican's "great satisfaction," he confirmed reports from Iraq (news - web sites) that no ransom had been paid. Misna, a Rome-based Catholic missionary news agency with extensive contacts in the developing world, earlier reported the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of $200,000. The Vatican announced the kidnapping -- which it had branded an "act of terrorism" -- on Monday night and demanded the immediate release of the archbishop. Casmoussa was kidnapped by gunmen in two cars in the northern al-Majmoua al-Thaqafiya district of Iraq's third largest city on Tuesday afternoon while he was on his way to visit some families from his congregation. Navarro-Valls, the Vatican spokesman, said the kidnapping had "prompted great surprise" because Casmoussa was "very much loved" by both the Christian and Muslim community. Casmoussa was believed to have been the highest ranking Catholic prelate to be abducted in Iraq, where the local church has been the target of a bombing campaign aimed at intimidating the tiny Christian minority. ANCIENT CHURCHES Most of Iraq's Christians, who make up some three percent of the 25 million population, belong to the early Assyrian and Chaldean Catholic churches. The Vatican strongly opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. While Christians had little political power under Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), they were free to worship and did not feel threatened by sectarian violence. But Iraq's 650,000 or so Christians have been trickling out of their ancient homeland since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 as insurgents step up attacks against both Muslim and Christian holy places in an apparent bid to inflame sectarian tension. On Aug. 1 five churches in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul were bombed in coordinated attacks that killed 12 people. Five Baghdad churches were bombed on the Oct. 16 start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Eight were killed in two church bombings on Nov. 8. Midnight Mass was canceled last Christmas, as several cities were under curfew and Iraq's Christian religious leaders feared renewed attacks. Last month the Vatican's foreign minister warned that anti-Christian feeling was spreading in Iraq and other Muslim countries because of the war on terrorism. Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican's second-ranking diplomat, said anti-Christian feeling existed where political strategies of Western countries were believed to be driven by Christianity.
Share this picture:
http://vegasmike433.yafro.com/photo/7993490
[Copy
Vatican: Kidnapped Iraq Bishop Freed; No RansomTue Jan 18, 8:38 AM ET By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Iraqi Catholic archbishop of Mosul who was kidnapped at gunpoint on Monday was freed on Tuesday morning without a ransom being paid, the Vatican (news - web sites) said. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said Pope John Paul (news - web sites) was immediately informed of the release of Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa, 66, and "thanked God for the happy ending to this episode." In expressing the Vatican's "great satisfaction," he confirmed reports from Iraq (news - web sites) that no ransom had been paid. Misna, a Rome-based Catholic missionary news agency with extensive contacts in the developing world, earlier reported the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of $200,000. The Vatican announced the kidnapping -- which it had branded an "act of terrorism" -- on Monday night and demanded the immediate release of the archbishop. Casmoussa was kidnapped by gunmen in two cars in the northern al-Majmoua al-Thaqafiya district of Iraq's third largest city on Tuesday afternoon while he was on his way to visit some families from his congregation. Navarro-Valls, the Vatican spokesman, said the kidnapping had "prompted great surprise" because Casmoussa was "very much loved" by both the Christian and Muslim community. Casmoussa was believed to have been the highest ranking Catholic prelate to be abducted in Iraq, where the local church has been the target of a bombing campaign aimed at intimidating the tiny Christian minority. ANCIENT CHURCHES Most of Iraq's Christians, who make up some three percent of the 25 million population, belong to the early Assyrian and Chaldean Catholic churches. The Vatican strongly opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. While Christians had little political power under Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), they were free to worship and did not feel threatened by sectarian violence. But Iraq's 650,000 or so Christians have been trickling out of their ancient homeland since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 as insurgents step up attacks against both Muslim and Christian holy places in an apparent bid to inflame sectarian tension. On Aug. 1 five churches in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul were bombed in coordinated attacks that killed 12 people. Five Baghdad churches were bombed on the Oct. 16 start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Eight were killed in two church bombings on Nov. 8. Midnight Mass was canceled last Christmas, as several cities were under curfew and Iraq's Christian religious leaders feared renewed attacks. Last month the Vatican's foreign minister warned that anti-Christian feeling was spreading in Iraq and other Muslim countries because of the war on terrorism. Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican's second-ranking diplomat, said anti-Christian feeling existed where political strategies of Western countries were believed to be driven by Christianity.
Share this picture:
http://vegasmike433.yafro.com/photo/7993490
[Copy
