(March 14, 2008) Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday expressed his sorrow at the death of
a Chaldean rite Catholic archbishop of Iraq, who was kidnapped Feb. 29. Archbishop
Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul, in the north, was abducted just after he had finished
the Way of the Cross. Gunmen opened fire on his car killing three men who accompanied
the archbishop, including his driver. In a condolence message sent to Cardinal Emmanuel
III Delly of Baghdad, patriarch the Chaldean rite Church of Iraq, the Pope expressed
his closeness with “the Chaldean Church and to the entire Christian community," reaffirming
his "condemnation for an act of inhuman violence which offends the dignity of the
human being and seriously damages the cause of the fraternal coexistence of the beloved
Iraqi people." The Holy Father assured his prayers for the 65-year-old archbishop
and invoked the Lord's mercy "that this tragic event may serve to build a future of
peace in the martyred land of Iraq." As soon as the news of the death of the archbishop
reached the Vatican, Holy See’s spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said the Pope Benedict
was "profoundly moved and saddened," by the tragedy. Archbishop Rahho’s body was
found in a shallow grave near Mosul on Thursday after his kidnappers alerted church
authorities that he had died and they had buried him. The prelate suffered poor health
and needed daily medication, following a heart attack some years ago. Police said
it was not clear whether the archbishop had been killed or died of other causes. He
appeared to have been dead a week and had no bullet wounds. The archbishop’s death
drew condemnation from U.S. President George W. Bush, Maliki and leaders and churches
worldwide. Chaldeans belong to a branch of the Roman Catholic Church that practices
an ancient Eastern rite and form the biggest Christian community in Iraq.