Kinnamon condemns murder of Iraqi archbishop
The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, has condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the murder of Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho in Mosul, Iraq.
The archbishop was seized by gunmen as he left Mass on Feb. 29. His three companions were killed in the attack. Despite appeals for his safe release, the archbishop’s body was found yesterday just outside Mosul in northern Iraq.
The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, has condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the murder of Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho in Mosul, Iraq.
The archbishop was seized by gunmen as he left Mass on Feb. 29. His three companions were killed in the attack. Despite appeals for his safe release, the archbishop’s body was found yesterday just outside Mosul in northern Iraq.
“The kidnapping and murder of this man of peace is yet another appalling incident in the ongoing cycle of violence in Iraq,” Kinnamon said. “It is so obvious that violent acts do not achieve political goals. They only spawn more violence as one side or the other seeks reprisal and retribution. Nothing is solved by violence.”
The Middle East Council of Churches also expressed “great sorrow and condemnation” at the kidnapping and death of Archbishop Rahho.
“The MECC condemns this terrorist killing and calls on the Iraqi Government to open an immediate investigation into this sad event and find out the complete truth,” said a statement signed by MECC General Secretary Gurigis Ibrahim Saleh.
Kinnamon noted that the archbishop’s murder is the latest episode in ongoing attacks on the Christian minority in Iraq, which have continued despite promises by Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to “protect and support” Christians.
“Our Iraqi sisters and brothers in Christ live each day under the threat of violence and death,” Kinnamon said. “All Christians and persons of faith pray for their safety, even as we remind the Iraq government of its urgent responsibility to protect all Iraqis.”
The MECC statement called upon “the Islamic Iraqi and Arab leadership to raise their voice in condemnation and in defending the Christian-Muslim coexistence, which Christian churches in the Arabic World are keen to preserve.”
Following is the text of Kinnamon’s statement:
The 35 member communions of the National Council of Churches USA condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho in Mosul, Iraq.
The kidnapping and murder of this man of peace is yet another appalling incident in the ongoing cycle of violence in Iraq. It is so obvious that violent acts do not achieve political goals. They only spawn more violence as one side or the other seeks reprisal and recrimination. Nothing is solved by violence.
We are sadly aware that the murder of Archbishop Rahho is the latest in a string of attacks on the Christian minority in Iraq. Our Iraqi sisters and brothers in Christ live each day under the threat of violence and death. All Christians and persons of faith pray for their safety, even as we remind the Iraq government of its urgent responsibility to protect all Iraqis.
Following is the full text of the Middle East Council of Churches statement:
With great sorrow and condemnation, the Middle East Council of Churches received the sad news of the killing of the late Bishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Bishop of the Chaldean Church in Musol, Iraq days after his kidnapping by unknown armed group.
The MECC condemns this terrorist killing and call on the Iraqi Government to open and immediate investigation on this sad event and find out the complete truth.
The MECC also encourages the Islamic Iraqi and Arabic leaderships to raise their voice in condemnation and in defending the Christian-Muslim coexistence, which Christian churches in the Arabic World are keen to preserve.
Beirut, 13 March 2008
Gurigis Ibrahim Saleh
General Secretary
Middle East Council of Churches
The NCC is the ecumenical voice of America’s Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, historic African American and traditional peace churches. These 35 communions have 45 million faithful members in 100,000 congregations in all 50 states.