UPDATE 28 March 2128 GMT:
Bishop Hinder on Kidnapped Priest: ‘Strong Indications That Father Tom Is Still Alive’
UPDATE 28 March 2002h GMT:
According to Kathnet, there may still be hope.
Bischof: Verschleppter Priester im Jemen vermutlich am Leben
While I hope this is true, that takes nothing away from my conviction that we have to “get our game face on”, and soon.
___
It seems fairly clear that this priest was killed by adherents of the Religion of Peace for hatred of the Christian Faith. He is more than likely a true martyr, through red, bloody, martyrdom. And he died in the manner of Our Lord.
From The Right Perspective:
ISIS CRUCIFIES CATHOLIC PRIEST ON GOOD FRIDAY
Isis crucified a Catholic priest on Good Friday, the latest atrocity committed by the radical Islamist terror group.
The Rev. Thomas Uzhunnalil was kidnapped in Yemen in during a March 4 raid on a nursing home run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. 16 nuns and nurses were killed in the attack. Pope Francis already had honored the slain nuns as martyrs.
His execution, using the same grisly method the Romans used on Jesus Christ and commemorated by Christians around the world every Good Friday, was confirmed at the Easter Vigil Mass by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna.
Rev. Uzhunnalil was a Salesian, an order founded in 1859 by St. John “Don” Bosco. It is the second-largest order in the Catholic Church, with more than 28,000 Priests, Brothers, Sisters and novices working across the globe to help poor children.
ISIS CRUCIFIES CATHOLIC PRIEST ON GOOD FRIDAYWe had better get our game face on soon.
Sts. Nunilo and Alodia, pray for us.
St. Lawrence of Brindisi, pray for us.
St. Pius V, pray for us.
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Although I have no authority to officially canonize anyone, I will add New Martyr, St Thomas Uzhunnalil pray for us!!
As I prayed my daily rosary for priests…I just can’t put the feelings into words…but I was praying that the blood of this martyr would strengthen our priesthood for what lies ahead.
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Has Cardinal Schonborn’s source been identified/verified?
RevFr Thomas Uzhunnalil is of the Syro-Malabar Church originally. Neither the Syro-Malabar not Latin Church, nor the Salesians have confirmed this. Neither the bishop in Yemen, nor the bishop of Bangalore, where Fr. is from, has confirmed. The Church universal keeps prayers vigilantly in any case.
Lord have mercy; even if Father hasn’t been martyred yet, he’s still in hostile hands, and I would be amazed if he doesn’t die a red martyrdom if he hasn’t already.
@Dr. Peters:
It seems that there is still hope:
http://www.kath.net/news/54556
This priest definitely still needs our prayers, but the story of his supposed crucifixion on Good Friday is probably false, according to the local bishop in that region: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/bishop-paul-hinder-of-southern-arabia-strong-indications-that-father-tom-is/
St. Thomas Uzhunnalil, pray for us.
best proof! Is it on you tube yet?
“While I hope this is true, that takes nothing away from my conviction that we have to ‘get our game face on’, and soon.”
What do you have in mind?
FWIW: I did some quick research. Both the Mercedarian (Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives aka Our Lady of Ransom) and the Trinitarian (Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives) orders are still around and active in numerous countries. Both of these orders got their start as orders who collected alms to be used in ransoming Christians captured by the Muslims, and would have as their fourth vow (in addition to chastity, obedience, and poverty) the promise to offer themselves as a sacrifice or hostage in the place of any of the hostages who were in danger of losing faith. Nowadays, they work at ransoming people from poverty, visiting those in prison, and the like. I’m wondering if any of the members of those orders have given any thought to returning to one of their original charisms: ransoming those captured by Muslims.
Muzhik,
I have been wondering the same thing about those orders. What a witness that would be!
This is cardinal Christoph “Baloon Mass, Medjugorje fan, women priest ordination supporter, global church expert” Schonborn, confirming it then?
Must be true then……
I wouldn’t buy a used Biretta from him, why would I listen to him about anything?
Nevertheless, Father Z, my game face is on….I once spoke to father Douglas Bazi, Iraqi Chaldean priest, who was kidnapped for ransom..they’d broken all his teeth with a hammer, broke his knees, just for fun….thanks be to God he’s now back in action and doing amazing work with his people in Irbil…now that’s a game face
I don’t often battle Islamic terrorists.
But when I do, I prefer a 7.62mm FMJ BT in 148 grain, dipped in bacon fat.
Good choice, JustaSinner….
Good news:
http://www.kath.net/news/54672