Archbishop of Vienna withdraws statement.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
The fate of Father Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian priest from the Bengaluru province of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Yemen, who was abducted by ISIS in Yemen and threatened with crucifixion on Good Friday, is not yet clear.
The Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, who had earlier said that the priest had been crucified, has withdrawn his statement, reported Catholic Online.
The report also said that church officials have also denied the news of the father’s crucifixion. According to the report, officials in the region are still working to release Father Tom.
Bishop Paul Hinder of Southern Arabia told Catholic News Agency (CAN) that he has “strong indications that Fr. Tom is still alive in the hands of the kidnappers.”
“Cardinal Schönborn has already corrected his statement which he had made on the basis of the wrong statement of Archbishop Moras in Bangalore. Certain media in India are too nervous and curious and not aware that they are playing with the life of Fr. Tom. I cannot say more for the reason I gave in my first sentence (to protect the life of Fr. Tom),” Bishop Hinder told CNA.
“There is no confirmed news till date about Fr. Tom. Don’t be carried away by the rumours on the social media,” Father Vincent Matthew Salesian order Catholic priest told Indo Asian News Service on Tuesday.
The External Affairs Ministry of India had also said that there was no confirmation of the reports claiming Father Tom was crucified on Good Friday.
Father Tom Uzhunnalil, 56, was reportedly abducted from the Missionaries of Charity’s old age home in Yemen by ISIS affiliate terrorist group on March 4. Many reports had claimed that the militant group would crucify the priest on Good Friday.
Even though ISIS has not taken the responsibility for the attack on the old age home run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, the Yemen authorities have put the blame on an ISIS affiliate group.
More than 15 people were killed in the attack of the militant group at the old age home, including four Indian nuns.
A source earlier told IANS that the news about the priest has shocked the Vatican and agencies including the FBI are doing everything possible to rescue the priest from the hands of the kidnappers.
“We have various other sources in Yemen, Aden and other Catholic institutions and we are confident of his release. All the calls that I am getting are from the international media and well-wishers of the priest,” said the source.
“Till this moment, we have no reason to disbelieve our sources and our mission is on the right track,” the official said.
The incident, however, has stoked a new controversy in India with Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari blaming the ruling NDA government for not taking action to rescue the priest.
Sparking a communal angle, Tewari wrote on Twitter, “So ISIS allegedly crucified Father Thomas Uzhunnali &BJP Govt did nothing. Why because he was a Christian? Mr. PM he was also a fellow Indian.”
On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj came up with a reply to Tewari.
“Friends – I have liked some tweets. Please see them and judge for yourself. Then reply to @ManishTewari,” Swaraj posted on her Twitter account.