"Sadly, I think too many Cardinals in Rome would be more apt to blame this on America. They would reason that if we hadn't have invaded Iraq and toppled Hussein, these terrorists would not hate Christianity."
I know so very little about modern Roman Catholism, I couldn't judge. However, I think you are probably correct. This "Bishop" was "Syrian Church." They are only loosely tied to Rome?
Look at some of the other threads on this topic. Our own "NYer" worships in the Maronite Catholic Church, and has posted several articles outlining the relationship among the various branches of the Catholic Church. We aren't all Roman ...
22 Churches sui juris and 6 Rites comprise the Catholic Church. The Latin Rite, the Western Church, is the largest.
The first wave of immigrants to America came from Europe and brought their religious practices with them. The majority of these catholic immigrants were Roman Catholic.
The 2nd wave of immigrants came at the turn of the 20th century. They also brought their religious practices with them. The majority of these catholic immigrants were Eastern Catholic. (not to be confused with Orthodox Christians)
The Catholic (universal) Church is both Western and Eastern. As a "cradle Catholic" of the Roman tradition, I tended to think of my Liturgy as the "Catholic" one. Not so. I was surprised to learn that the Maronite tradition predates the Roman, tracing its lineage to the church that St. Peter and St. Paul founded in Antioch before they went to Rome. St. Maron was one of the early Antiochean Christians, a monk and hermit in Northern Syria who was revered for his humility and piety. His disciples, who founded a monastery in his honor, came to be known as Maronites. Their loyalty to the church and to the Pope, especially their staunch defense of the Council of Chalcedon decree in 451 concerning Christ's Divine and Human Natures, led to persecutions over the centuries, and the Maronites eventually moved to Lebanon where they established the Patriarchate.
The Maronite Catholic Church preserves the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith, administers the seven sacraments, follows all Papal rulings and is characterized by devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, the Blessed Mother. The differences that strike a newcomer are mainly connected with the Divine Liturgy, which is reverent, beautiful and deeply spiritual.
The Archbishop who has been kidnapped is a Chaldean Catholic. You can learn more about the different churches and rites at this link.
BTW - I maintain a Catholic Ping List. Please freepmail me if you would like to be added to the list.