Kerala-born priest was abducted in Yemen.
By Dileep Thekkethil
After news about ISIS crucifying a Kerala-born Priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil on the eve of Good Friday went viral on social media., the office of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was flooded with phone calls wanting to know the whereabouts of the priest who was abducted by a group of Islamic State gunmen from the old age home of Missionaries of Charity in Yemen.
Tom Uzhunnalil, 56, was abducted by gunmen who are believed to be ISIS militants after they attacked the old age facility killing more than 15 people including the four Indian nuns. The incident happened in Aden, southern Yemen on March 4.
A source 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.
Till this moment, we have no reason to disbelieve our sources and our mission is on the right track,” the official said.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday to discuss the efforts to bring Father Tom back to the country.
Sushma Swaraj on Saturday had tweeted that her ministry is doing everything possible to rescue father Tom Uzhunnallil.
“Fr Tom Uzhunnallil – an Indian national from Kerala was abducted by a terror group in Yemen. We r making all efforts to secure his release,” she wrote.
But according to a few reports, it looks like the ministry might be already late as they claim that the ISIS group that abducted Father Tom Uzhunnallil crucified him on Good Fridayusing the same torture methods the Romans used to crucify Jesus Christ.
Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, told a congregation gathered in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the Austrian capital that the priest had been crucified.
‘The cardinal based his statements on news published on Arabic language websites. The validity of this information has, however, not been confirmed,’ said Archdiocese Vienna’s head of media relations, Michael Prüller.
He also added, “The cardinal doesn’t himself have any sources that have confirmed the death of Father Tom. Thus, for the time being, there’s still basis for hope that Father Tom is alive.”
Daily Mail quoted a Yemeni Security official saying “According to our information, the extremists who attacked the elderly care home in Aden have kidnapped priest Tom Uzhunnalil, a 56-year-old Indian, who was taken to an unknown location.”
He also added ‘We are aware that no group has yet claimed the criminal attack… but information points to the involvement of Daesh.”
Earlier, a group of South African nuns by the name Franciscan Sisters of Siessen, posted on Facebook: “Was informed that the Salesian priest, Fr.Tom who was kidnapped by ISIS from the Missionaries of Charity Home in Yemen is being tortured and is going to be crucified on Good Friday. This calls for serious concerted prayers from all of us.”
ISIS has not taken the responsibility of the attack on the old age home run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, but the Yemen authorities claimed that ISIS affiliate group was behind the attack.
“We have absolutely no information on Fr Tom,” said Father Mathew Valarkot, the spokesman for the Salesians’ Bangalore province under which Fr. Tom serving.
“But even today we do not know who has taken him and what their motives are because no one has claimed responsibility,” he added
Missionaries of Charity, established by Mother Teresa in 1950 under attack in Yemen in 1998 when gunmen killed three nuns in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida.
UCA News reported earlier this week that Vatican diplomatic channels are working to learn the whereabouts of Father Tom and trying all they can do for his secure release.