|
News Items:
|
|
Headlines
|
|
News Briefs
|
|
Stories
|
|
Movies
|
|
Word To Life
|
|
More News:
|
|
Vatican
|
|
Africa
|
|
Special Sections:
|
|
2006 in review
|
|
Inside the Curia
|
|
Archives:
|
|
Vatican II at 40
|
|
John Paul II
|
|
Other Items:
|
|
Client Area
|
|
Links
|
|
Origins
|
|
.
|
|
Did You Know...
|
The whole CNS
public Web site
headlines, briefs
stories, etc,
represents less
than one percent
of the daily news
report.
Get all the news!
If you would like
more information
about the
Catholic News
Service daily
news report,
please contact
CNS at one of
the following:
cns@
catholicnews.com
or
(202) 541-3250
|
|
.
|
|
Copyright:
|
This material
may not
be published,
broadcast,
rewritten or
otherwise
distributed.
Copyright
(c) 2007
Catholic News
Service/U.S.
Conference of
Catholic Bishops.
|
|
 |
|
CNS Story:
|
POPE-IRAQ Jun-4-2007 (470 words) xxxi
Pope hopes murder of Iraqi priest, others helps people reject hatred
By Alicia Ambrosio
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS)-- Pope Benedict XVI said he hoped the killings of a Chaldean Catholic priest and three subdeacons in northern Iraqi city of Mosul would inspire people to reject hatred and violence and to bring about justice and peace in Iraq.
Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni and subdeacons Basman Yousef Daoud, Wadid Hanna and Ghasan Bida Wid were killed June 3 while leaving the Church of the Holy Spirit after having celebrated Sunday Mass.
A telegram sent in the pope's name to Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul said Pope Benedict "prays that their costly sacrifice will inspire in the hearts of all men and women of good will a renewed resolve to reject the ways of hatred and violence, to conquer evil with good and to cooperate in hastening the dawn of reconciliation, justice and peace in Iraq."
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, sent the telegram June 4.
The pope "joins the Christian community in Mosul in commending their souls to the infinite mercy of God and in giving thanks for their selfless witness to the Gospel," said Cardinal Bertone.
Father Ganni, the three subdeacons, and the wife of one of the subdeacons were driving away from the church when their car was blocked by a group of armed militants, according to a report by AsiaNews, a Rome-based agency.
The armed men forced the woman out of the car. Once the woman was away from the vehicle the armed men opened fire on Father Ganni and the three subdeacons, an ordained position lower than a deacon in most Eastern Catholic churches.
The militants then placed explosives around the car to prevent anyone from retrieving the four bodies.
At 10 p.m. local time, authorities finally managed to defuse the explosives and retrieve the bodies.
Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel-Karim Delly of Baghdad condemned the killings in a statement released June 4.
"It is a most heinous crime that any person of proper conscience would reject. The authors (of this crime) carried out a most horrible act against God, against humanity, against their own brothers who were peace-loving citizens, as well as men of religion who always offered their prayers to God almighty for security and stability in Iraq," he said.
This was not the first attack against Chaldean Catholics. In August of 2002 a Chaldean Catholic nun was killed in Baghdad. The Church of the Holy Spirit also has been bombed several times in recent months.
In a statement also released to AsiaNews June 4, the Chaldean Synod of Bishops called on "Iraqi leaders and international organizations to intervene to put a concrete end to these criminal acts."
END
Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250
|
|
|
|
