by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer

(March 13, 2008) Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, who was found dead today near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. His body was discovered not far from the church where he was kidnapped after conducting the Stations of the Cross on Feb. 29 in a deadly ambush that left three others dead.

“Monsignor Rahho is dead,” said Monsignor Shelmon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, to the Associated Press. “We have found him lifeless near Mosul. The kidnappers had buried him.”

Monsignor Warduni said that the church in Mosul had received a phone call from the kidnappers on Wednesday telling them the archbishop was dead and where to find the body. The Archbishop’s remains were found partially buried under a thin layer of dirt.

According to a medical examiner in Mosul, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, the Archbishop’s body showed no signs of being shot. The 67 year old
prelate was suffering from a medical condition that required daily medication. The medical examiner said the body was found in an early stage of decomposition, suggesting he had died only few days before.

The kidnappers did not identify themselves during the few contacts made with authorities and were asking a $1.8 million dollar ransom for the Archbishop’s safe return.

To date, no one has claimed responsibility for the killing, but General Mark Hertling, commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, said in a recent press conference that it was not out of the question that al-Qaeda was responsible for the kidnap. The group was trying to reform in Mosul after being dismantled in Baghdad and Anbar and was now in need of money to reorganize.

Unlike other areas in Iraq which have seen a dramatic decrease in violence since the 2007 surge in U.S. forces, Mosul is a Sunni stronghold that remains under the control of terrorists and religious militias.

This past November, in an interview with Asia News, Archbishop Rahho said the situation in Mosul was not improving and “religious persecution is more noticeable than elsewhere because the city is split along religious lines,” he said.

”Everyone is suffering from this war irrespective of religious affiliation, but in Mosul Christians face starker choices.”

Those “starker choices” are usually a choice between leaving their homes, converting to Islam, paying the jizya – a tax imposed by the Koran on non-Muslim subjects – or death.

According to a report by the U.S. State Department, there are less than a million Christians still living in Iraq after thousands were forced to flee since the war began in 2003. This tiny segment of the population in a predominantly Muslim country has frequently been targeted by Islamic extremists who label them as “crusaders” who are loyal to U.S. troops.

The Iraqi Catholic population is comprised of mostly the Chaldean and Assyrian rite, with a small number of Latin and Armenian churches found mostly in Baghdad.

The death of Archbishop Rahho is a blow to this small but faithful community. “It is a heavy Cross for our Church, ahead of Easter,” said Bishop Rabban of Arbil to AsiaNews.

After hearing news of Archbishop Rahho’s death, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his deep sadness in a telegram sent to Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans. The Pope reaffirmed his “condemnation of an act of inhuman violence which offends the dignity of human beings and seriously damages the cause of the fraternal coexistence of the beloved Iraqi people.”

”We had all kept hoping and praying for his release,” said Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi in a written statement. “Unfortunately the most absurd and senseless violence keeps dogging the Iraqi people, and especially the small Christian community.”

However, Iraqi Christians are a people of great faith who now have the courageous witness of Archbishop Rahho to inspire them.

Only a year ago, after a violent attack on a Mosul church, Archbishop Rahho rallied his flock during a homily. “The Church is much better today than before the attack. That violence tested our faith and in a year we have learned to put into practice values like forgiveness and love, even for those who persecute us,” he said.

Addressing his attackers, the Archbishop added, “You tried to destroy our churches for no reason, but our Lord taught us to love and forgive you as well as pray for you. We have no resentment towards you; we have no enemies.”

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