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Iraqi Archbishop Seized, Vatican Demands Release
Mon Jan 17, 4:37 PM ET

Top Stories - Reuters
By Maher al-Thanoon and Philip Pullella
MOSUL/VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Iraqi Catholic archbishop of Mosul was kidnapped at gunpoint on Monday and the Vatican (news - web sites) demanded his quick release and deplored what it branded an act of terrorism.
Reuters Photo

Catholic Archbishop Kidnapped in Iraq (AP Video)

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Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa, 66, was believed to be the highest-ranking Catholic prelate to be abducted in Iraq (news - web sites), where churches have been the target of a bombing campaign that has rattled the tiny Christian minority.
"We have received news of the kidnapping of the ... Archbishop of Mosul, Basile Georges Casmoussa," Chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told Reuters.
"The Holy See deplores this act of terrorism in the firmest manner and demands that the worthy pastor is swiftly freed unharmed to continue to carry out his ministry."
Casmoussa was kidnapped by gunmen in two cars in the northern al-Majmoua al-Thaqafiya district of Iraq's third largest city soon after 5 p.m. (0900 EST), a local Christian official said.
The archbishop was on his way to visit some families from his congregation when the attack took place, he added, but was not clear whether the motive was political, sectarian or financial, in a country where kidnapping for ransom is common.
Most of Iraq's Christians, who make up some three percent of the 25 million population, belong to the early Assyrian and Chaldean churches.
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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.
Washington justified invading Iraq by saying Saddam had developed weapons of mass destruction and claiming there were links between Baghdad and al Qaeda. No such weapons have been found nor hard evidence of pre-war al Qaeda links.
Pope John Paul (news - web sites) strongly opposed the invasion.
Casmoussa is a member of the Syrian Catholic church.

There are two Syrian Catholic dioceses in Iraq -- one in Baghdad and the other in Mosul.
According to the Vatican yearbook, Casmoussa was born in the Iraqi city of Qaraqosh.
Source:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=2&u=/nm/20050117/ts_nm/iraq_bishop_vatican_dc_7

Please pray for the Iraqi Archbishop ...