Iraqi Christians on Edge After Priest's Kidnapping

BAGHDAD, Iraq, AUG. 23, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Last week's kidnapping at gunpoint of a Chaldean* priest in Baghdad has sent shock waves throughout the Christian community in Iraq.

On Aug. 15, the car in which Father Saad Sirop Hanna, 34, was traveling was stopped by three masked gunmen, when he was returning home from celebrating Mass in St. Jacob's Church, in the Baghdad district of Al Dora.

With the passing of time, concern grows for his safety, said the charity Aid to the Church in Need.

Last Sunday, Benedict XVI expressed his closeness to suffering Iraqi victims and appealed to the kidnappers for the release of the Chaldean priest.

Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly of Babylon of the Chaldeans held a meeting last week with the prime minister of Iraq to try to find ways for Father Sirop's release.

For his part, Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, in northeastern Iraq, implored on television for the priest's release. Subsequently, during an interview with Aid to the Church in Need, he commented on the distress that the incident has caused in the Christian community.

"Christians are living in a panic and they are terrified of more attacks on their priests and their churches," the archbishop said.

"When a priest is kidnapped, the Christian community takes it very seriously because he is such an important religious symbol," he explained.

Deterioration

According to Archbishop Sako, the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of about $1 million. A few days ago they telephoned Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly, informing him that they were holding the priest.

Meanwhile, friends and colleagues of Father Sirop have praised his determination to minister to his people as widely as possible during the current crisis.

Aid to the Church in Need had agreed to sponsor him to study for a doctorate in philosophy in Rome, starting this autumn.

Aid to the Church in Need noted that the kidnapping comes amid a sudden deterioration of life for Christians in Iraq -- a number of lay Christians have been killed in recent weeks. Two weeks ago, another Baghdad Chaldean priest, Father Raad Washan, was kidnapped though he was released 48 hours later.

Archbishop Sako mentioned that the lives of other priests have been threatened.

Last Sunday, Mass attendance in Baghdad was very low when a 48-hour curfew was introduced after fears of an increase in violence associated with a Shiite pilgrimage.

The archbishop described Baghdad as "a jail" from which people are desperate to escape.

* - Although it is not widely known in our Western world, the Catholic Church is actually a communion of Churches. According to the Constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, the Catholic Church is understood to be "a corporate body of Churches," united with the Pope of Rome, who serves as the guardian of unity (LG, no. 23). At present there are 22 Churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The new Code of Canon Law, promulgated by Pope John Paul II, uses the phrase "autonomous ritual Churches" to describe these various Churches (canon 112). Each Church has its own hierarchy, spirituality, and theological perspective. Because of the particularities of history, there is only one Western Catholic Church, while there are 22 Eastern Catholic Churches. The Western Church, known officially as the Latin Church, is the largest of the Catholic Churches. It is immediately subject to the Roman Pontiff as Patriarch of the West. The Eastern Catholic Churches are each led by a Patriarch, Major Archbishop, or Metropolitan, who governs their Church together with a synod of bishops. Through the Congregation for Oriental Churches, the Roman Pontiff works to assure the health and well-being of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

While this diversity within the one Catholic Church can appear confusing at first, it in no way compromises the Church's unity. In a certain sense, it is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity. Just as God is three Persons, yet one God, so the Church is 22 Churches, yet one Church.

To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:

CATHOLIC RITES AND CHURCHES

Archbishop makes desperate appeal after Iraqi priest is kidnapped

Bombed Syrian Orthodox Church in Baghdad's Al-Doura neighborhood

(Aug 22, 2006) A leading Iraqi bishop has put out an urgent appeal for the release of a priest who was kidnapped at gunpoint.

On Tuesday, August 15th, Father Saad Sirop Hanna was returning home from Mass at Baghdad's St. Jacob's Church when his car was stopped by three masked gunmen. Almost a week after the incident, concerns are growing for his safety.

Archbishop Louis Sako of Kiruk, in northern Iraq has appeared on television appealing for Fr. Sirop's release, and in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need afterwards, he told how the kidnapping had sent shock-waves throughout the Christian community. He said, "Christians are living in a panic and they are terrified of more attacks on their priests and their churches&.When a priest is kidnapped, the Christian community take it very seriously because he is such an important religious symbol." The Archbishop was speaking after an appeal for Fr. Sirop's release was made by Pope Benedict XVI.

Archbishop Sako said the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of about $1 million, and a few days ago they had telephoned Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, informing him that they were holding the priest. Meanwhile, friends and colleagues of Fr. Sirop have praised his determination to minister to his people as widely as possible during the present crisis. As well as being parish priest of St. Jacob's Church, in Baghdad's Al Dora district, he was also director of philosophy at Babel College, near the capital. Aid to the Church in Need had agreed to sponsor him to study for a doctorate in philosophy in Rome, starting this autumn.

Fellow Iraqi Chaldean priest, Fr. Habib Al Nafaly, who has just returned from a visit to his native country, spoke of his distress for "a very close friend" and begged the prayers of the international community.

The kidnapping comes amid a sudden deterioration of life for Christians in Iraq. Just two weeks ago, another Baghdad Chaldean priest, Fr. Raad Washan, of Holy Family Chaldean Church, was kidnapped before being released after about 48 hours. Archbishop Sako reported threats on the lives of several other priests. Meanwhile, a number of lay Christians have been killed in recent weeks, including a young man from Baghdad and two brothers from the northern city of Mosul. Sunday, August 20th, Mass attendance in Baghdad was very low after a 48-hour curfew was introduced due to fears of an increase in violence associated with a Shia pilgrimage.

Fr. Habib said, "Iraq has been divided up into religious sections, and each section has its own leader - each one a little Saddam, who has to be obeyed." He explained that each leader was imposing laws such as a ban on alcohol, the wearing of jeans, the use of mobile phones and the internet - each punishable by execution.

Describing the Iraqi capital as "a jail" from which people were desperate to escape, Archbishop Sako said, "You cannot imagine what it is like for the people in Baghdad."

Aid to the Church in Need has launched a special appeal for Christians in the Middle East. To make a donation, contact Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384. T.718.609.0939.

http://www.aidtothechurchinneed.com/home.cfm?5C510B09001048797E6204010C0C7B04010207050C0260061111091801080862666F736E730D00

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