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January 17, 2005
Vatican Says Archbishop Kidnapped in Iraq
Topics: Middle East News and PerspectivesAttacks against Christians in Muslim countries is legend, in Iraq its a common occurance. Last month, gunmen attacked two churches in Mosul on Dec. 7, forcing people to leave and setting off explosions inside the buildings that caused damage but no personal harm. In November, masked men detonated a bomb near an Orthodox Church in southern Baghdad, killing three people and wounding 34. In October, five Baghdad churches were attacked, causing damage but no casualties. And in August, similar attacks killed at least 10 and wounded nearly 50 Iraqi Christians.
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Catholic archbishop of the Iraqi city of Mosul was kidnapped Monday in what the Vatican called an "act of terrorism."
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told Reuters the Holy See had received news of the kidnapping of Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa in Mosul. The spokesman demanded his immediate release but gave no details of the abduction.
Violence against Catholics in Iraq includes the destruction of churches. Tens of thousands of Christians have fled from Iraq during the past 18 months.
Read more...
-Aljazeera
The
armed men tossed him into the trunk of their vehicle before speeding
away, according to the priest, who follows the rival Chaldean rite.
The Chaldean patriarch in Baghdad, Emmanuel Delly, said Casmusa "was abducted outside his home as he was returning from a pastoral visit in the diocese of Mosul". Read more..
Jawa Report has more on the story, with updates...
Posted by Hyscience at January 17, 2005 2:37 PM
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- Vatican Says Archbishop Kidnapped in Iraq - Jan 17, 2005
