Associated Press – February 29, 2008
BAGHDAD – Gunmen kidnapped a Chaldean Catholic archbishop Friday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, police and the church said, in another attack targeting Iraq’s small Christian community.
The gunmen killed three people who were with Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho after he ended a Mass at a nearby church, said Iraqi Brig. Gen. Khalid Abdul Sattar, a spokesman for the Ninevah province police.
An aide to Iraq’s Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, leader of the church, said he did not know who was behind the kidnapping of the 65-year-old archbishop.
“We pray for his release as soon as possible,” said Archbishop Andreos Abouna. “This act of abduction against a Christian clergy member will increase our fears and worries about the situation of Christians in Iraq.”
Last year’s International Religious Freedom Report from the U.S. State Department noted that Chaldean Catholics comprise a tiny minority of the Iraqi population, but are the largest group among the less than 1 million Christians in mostly Muslim Iraq.
Since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Iraqi Christians have been targeted by Islamic extremists who label them “crusaders” loyal to U.S. troops.
Churches, priests and business owned by Christians have been attacked by Islamic militants and many have fled the country.
Last June, Pope Benedict XVI expressed deep concern about the plight of Christians caught in the deadly sectarian crossfire in Iraq and pressed President Bush in a meeting to keep their safety in mind.
“Particularly in Iraq, Christian families and communities are feeling increasing pressure from insecurity, aggression and a sense of abandonment,” Benedict said at the time.
The Chaldean church is an Eastern-rite denomination that recognizes the authority of the pope and is aligned with Rome.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also pledged last fall to protect and support the Christian minority.
Though most of Iraq has witnessed a decrease of violence over the past six months, the U.S. military regards Mosul as the last urban stronghold of al-Qaida in Iraq, and is engaged in a campaign with Iraqi forces to root out extremists from the city 225 miles northwest of Baghdad.
In an interview with AsiaNews, a Vatican-affiliated missionary news agency, in November, Rahho said the situation in Mosul was not improving and “religious persecution is more noticeable than elsewhere because the city is split along religious lines.”
“Everyone is suffering from this war irrespective of religious affiliation, but in Mosul Christians face starker choices,” he told the news agency.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Beliefnet
Advertisement
posted February 29, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Wish I could be surprised at this news. Just one of many reasons why the invasion of Iraq was a mistake.
posted February 29, 2008 at 4:21 pm
It is so sad that the USA invaded Iraq and destroyed a way of life. The Christians there were not under attack until we invaded.
BTW, (it has nothing to do with this article….it has come up in some other discussions on articles) the Chaldean Catholic Priests are allowed to marry. And, yes the Chaldean Catholics do fall under the Pope.
Peace!
posted February 29, 2008 at 6:22 pm
That’s a good point about the married priests, JohnQ. The Eastern churches have married priests, and the Chaldean Church is essentially an Eastern church that has acknowledged the legitimacy of the papacy. In Western-Rite Catholicism, all clergy are considered monastics and are therefore celibate, while in Orthodoxy and in Eastern-Rite Catholicism, you don’t have to be a monastic in order to be a priest.
It is indeed sad that this ancient rite is being seriously threatened by the U.S. invasion. My guess is that few American Christians who rally behind Bush have ever even thought about this, since many of them have little clue about the forms of Christianity that exist beyond their little world.
posted February 29, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Thanks for the information, JohnQ, about the priests being able to marry in that branch of Catholics…and the Pope is the Big Boss? So Benny 16 can’t spread that to the other priests? As you said, JohnQ., not on this topic but a good piece of information.
posted February 29, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Excellent points JohnQ.
And in a country where unknown numbers of people are kidnapped every day and millions of refugees have been chased from their homes since our invasion this is a drop in a horribly large bucket where none of the drops are good drops.
posted February 29, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Go Surge! Iraq was once a religiously diverse country. Due to the war, it now has huge numbers of Christians, Jews, and Mandeans either dead or in exile. Areas and neighborhoods that were once mixed Shi’ite/Sunni, are now either one or the other due to ethnic cleansing. The Chaldean Archbishop is just the latest victim of George Bush and all those who supported this pointless war.
posted February 29, 2008 at 8:58 pm
On the priestly celibacy isssue, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s a liturgical, NOT a moral or dogmatic theological, principle within Catholicism. It’s the law of the Roman Rite to exclude married men from the priesthood (except, as has happened in a few cases, when a married priest from another denomination converts to Catholicism); it is not, however, a law of the Catholic Church per se, which is why other rites are allowed to exist within Catholicism that do not require a celibate priesthood.
That said, Catholic leadership prefers celibacy, and a large number of Eastern-rite priests are in fact celibate.
posted February 29, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Let’s stop talking about Chaldean priests and their sex pracices; that’s not the isssue! The issue is the failed policies of this admistration and its inability to protect the lives of the Iraqi people. The Chaldean Archbishop was kidnapped because the U.S. and its Iraqi allies are unable to secure a modicum of protection for the population as a whole — sex-abstaining or otherwise. If only George H and Babs and abstained, we would’nt have W. and his misguided policies. BTW: 29 US dead in February (40 in January), 3972 US dead since the war began. Approx. 29,100 US wounded since the start of the conflict. Only God and his not-so-celibate priests know how many Iraqi men, women, and children have been killed or wounded.
posted March 1, 2008 at 8:28 am
“The Chaldean Archbishop was kidnapped because the U.S. and its Iraqi allies are unable to secure a modicum of protection for the population as a whole — sex-abstaining or otherwise.”
I agree.
“If only George H and Babs and abstained, we would’nt have W. and his misguided policies.”
*smile*
“BTW: 29 US dead in February (40 in January), 3972 US dead since the war began. Approx. 29,100 US wounded since the start of the conflict. Only God and his not-so-celibate priests know how many Iraqi men, women, and children have been killed or wounded.”
Profoundly sad. And, it continues even today….which is even more sad!
posted March 2, 2008 at 12:08 am
I guess everyone forgot about the mass graves in Iraq? Not that they are better off since the Bush screw up but it has never really been without senseless violence.
posted March 2, 2008 at 4:34 am
I didn’t forget but it would be mighty hard to say our horrendous investment in troops and treasure has improved their lives.
A reasonable estimate has our defense budget (all “defense” related expenditures) at a trillion dollars for 2008. That’s more than for Social Security and Medicare combined. We just can’t afford that.
And think about how much fuel we’re using over there that’s causing our fuel prices to go up. If it were for a good cause that would be one thing but it’s good money after bad and it’s money we don’t have.