ICC Note:
Indian Catholics continue their prayers for Salesian a year after his abduction. An armed group stormed into the home for the elderly run by Missionaries of charity nuns in March of 2016, kidnapping Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil and murdering sixteen people including four nuns. Although there is no confirmation, Catholics suspect Islamic militants in Yemen kidnapped Uzhunnalil. “We don’t know who kidnapped the priest and where they have taken him. The government of India and the Vatican have been trying their best to secure his release. Sadly, these efforts have failed to produce any results so far,” said Cardinal Baselios Thottunkal of Trivandrum
03/08/2017 India (Crux) – A year after an Indian priest was abducted by suspected Islamic militants in Yemen, Catholics in his home state of Kerala are still praying for his release, reported ucanews.com.
Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil was taken by a group of armed men who stormed a home for the elderly run by Missionaries of Charity nuns in Aden, March 4, 2016. During the incident the gunmen murdered 16 people, including four nuns.
Even after one year, “We don’t know who kidnapped the priest and where they have taken him. The government of India and the Vatican have been trying their best to secure his release. Sadly, these efforts have failed to produce any results so far,” said Cardinal Baselios Thottunkal of Trivandrum, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
Ucanews.com reported on the cardinal’s remarks at a public meeting and prayer program at Ernakulam town hall March 4. The service was organized by the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council and the local province of the Salesians of Don Bosco; several such programs were organized across the state.
The cardinal referred to a video circulated on social media in which a man who looks like the priest accuses church officials and the Indian government of not doing enough to get him released.
Cardinal Thottunkal said a priest, “who went to the trouble-torn country on the call of God,” would not blame the church.
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