Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Cardinal Maida says slain Iraqi archbishop 'was a good shepherd whose life was needlessly sacrificed by extremists'
Cardinal Maida says slain Iraqi archbishop 'was a good shepherd whose life was needlessly sacrificed by extremists'
by Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published Online March 14, 2008
Detroit -- The death of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul, Iraq at the hands of terrorists shook members of the local Chaldean Catholic community, many of whom knew the late archbishop.
Archbishop Rahho's body was recovered March 13 following a violent kidnapping by terrorists on Feb. 29, which claimed four other lives.
Mourners will hold a memorial Mass for the archbishop at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 14, at Mother of God Chaldean Church in Southfield.
"We are all from the native place. We are from Mosul, all of us," said Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim of the Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle, based in Southfield.
The Michigan eparchy is the diocese for Chaldean Catholics in the eastern United States. They number approximately 100,000 and most of them live in southeastern Michigan, where there are six Chaldean parishes.
Bishop Ibrahim said many local Chaldeans traveled to Rome with Archbishop Rahho for a consistory in November.
"He was believing in the fraternity of all human kind," Bishop Ibrahim said of the late archbishop. "He was preaching the forgiveness for everyone. He was preaching to take care of each other, without regarding to the faith or the name or the gender."
Bishop Ibrahim said Archbishop Rahho spent his whole life in Mosul, and was close to his diocese.
"He was very close to his flock. Very close," he said. "Especially to those who were marginalized -- poor people, handicapped people. He was very good with the Muslims."
Cardinal Adam Maida united with Roman Catholic bishops around the world in expressing sorrow at the violence and tragedy. He said the people of the archdiocese mourn with the Chaldean community.
"The number of Christian leaders martyred in Iraq is alarming and unacceptable," Cardinal Maida said in a Thursday release, which noted that the archbishop is the ninth Chaldean cleric to be killed in Iraq since 2006.
"(Archbishop Rahho) was a good shepherd whose life was needlessly sacrificed by extremists," the cardinal added.
Speaking of the violent kidnapping and death of the archbishop, Bishop Ibrahim said the tragedy throws into question the destiny of Christians in Iraq.
"No one is defending us," Bishop Ibrahim said. "They are killing Christians because they are Christians."
He said the United States, and particularly the administration of President George W. Bush, is responsible for the terrorism and killing of Christians, and currently is ignoring the problem.
"We know that before the invasion of the Americans in Iraq, (terrorism) was no such a thing," he said. "Christians and Muslims were living together, exactly like brothers and sisters, and that's it. But since the invasion, everything changes."
Bishop Ibrahim said the United States should be accountable.
"Somebody has to be responsible," the bishop said. "Since the Americans are occupying Iraq, they have the responsibility of the security of every Iraqi, and in the first place minorities. I am not saying the Christians only - but they are doing nothing for them."
Contributing to this story was Simon Caldwell in London.
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