Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Two Priests Kidnapped by Rebels near Aleppo

From Agenzia Fides, here

Two priests kidnapped by the rebels. 
Archbishop Marayati: let us wait to know what they want 


Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) - The fate of the two priests Michel Kayyal (Armenian Catholic) and Maher Mahfouz (Greek Orthodox) kidnapped by a group of armed rebels on Saturday, February 9 on the road that leads from Aleppo to Damascus remains unknown. So far the purpose of the seizure is not clear nor the faction of the group of kidnappers, but eloquent details emerge on the dynamics of the kidnapping. "The two priests - the Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo reports to Fides Agency, Boutros Marayati - were traveling on a public bus, along with many other people. They were heading to the Salesian house in Kafrun, together with the Salesian priest Fr. Charbel. Thirty miles outside of Aleppo, the rebels stopped the vehicle, checked the passengers' documents and then they told only the two priests to get out of the vehicle and brought them away with them right away. They said nothing to the Salesian priest. Before leaving, they said that they would say something about their conditions. But so far family members and all of us have not received any message." Among the priests’ relatives and all the Christians of Aleppo, as time goes by, there is growing apprehension. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 12/02/2013).

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