Detroit's Cardinal Maida on Killing of Iraqi Archbishop

    DETROIT, March 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cardinal Adam Maida,
 archbishop of Detroit, joins with his brother bishops around the world in
 expressing "profound shock and sorrow" following the death of Archbishop
 Paulos Faraj Rahho at the hands of kidnappers in northern Iraq on Thursday,
 March 13. The body of Archbishop Rahho, a respected and indefatigable
 spiritual leader for the Chaldean Catholic community, was discovered on the
 outskirts of Mosul. He is the ninth Chaldean cleric to be killed in Iraq
 since 2006.
 
     "The number of Christian leaders martyred in Iraq is alarming and
 unacceptable," Cardinal Maida said. Archbishop Rahho "suffered for his
 faith," the cardinal added. "He was a good shepherd whose life was
 needlessly sacrificed by extremists."
 
     Cardinal Maida offers his prayers and heartfelt condolences to the
 clergy and members of the Chaldean Catholic community in southeast
 Michigan. "They are grieving," the cardinal said, "and the priests and
 people of the Detroit archdiocese grieve with them."
 
     "In the Detroit area, we have a good paradigm of cooperation and
 dialogue between and among spiritual leaders of different faiths," Cardinal
 Maida said. "Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others are known to come
 together in peace and respect," the cardinal noted. "We pray that our
 example can and will be followed in our own country and around the world,
 especially in those areas victimized by religious persecution."
 
     Issued by Archdiocesan Communications:
 
     Thursday, March 13, 2008
 
     Report in The Michigan Catholic
 
     http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0801432.htm on local
 Chaldean bishop
 
 
 

SOURCE Archdiocese of Detroit