New Delhi, Mar 29 (DHNS): Indian Catholic priest Father Thomas Uzhunnallil has been crucified by militants, who kidnapped him from Aden in Yemen on March 4, several western media reported on Monday.
The Government of India did not confirm or deny the reports, which came after Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, spoke about it in his address to a congregation in the capital of Austria.
Uzhunnallil, who hailed from Kerala and worked in Bengaluru before leaving for Yemen, was kidnapped from a home for the elderly and disabled at Aden. Senior officials in New Delhi said they had not received any information about the purported killing of the 56-year-old priest.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Minister for Non-resident Keralite Affairs K C Joseph said on Monday that diplomatic measures are being taken up to secure the release of the priest. In a statement here, the minister said the government was making “informal” efforts to establish contact with the terrorist group which abducted Fr Uzhunnalil, but did not divulge details.
Some media outlets of Austria were the first to quote Archbishop of Vienna to report that Islamic State militants had crucified Uzhunnallil on March 25, ostensibly to send out a message to Christians around the world on the occasion of Good Friday. Cardinal Schönborn called upon people to pray for the departed soul of Uzhunnallil.
Several western media outlets published similar reports that went viral on social media. “The Islamic State committed a grisly Good Friday commemoration, crucifying a Catholic priest,” reported Washington Times of US. “The Rev Thomas Uzhunnalil, a Salesian priest, was kidnapped in Yemen in early March during a raid on a nursing home run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity,” it added.
“The Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, told a congregation gathered in St Stephen’s Cathedral in the Austrian capital that the priest (Uzhunnalil) had been crucified,” reported Daily Mail of UK. “It is not known how the Archbishop became aware of Father Thomas’ alleged fate, but his confirmation of the crucifixion during Easter Vigil Mass was reported in Austrian media,” added the Daily Mail.
New Delhi, however, could not confirm or deny the reports. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had, on Saturday, posted on Twitter that the government was trying to secure the release of Uzhunnalil.
Salesian priest Uzhunnallil was kidnapped on March 4 when the IS terrorists stormed the charity home. The terrorists killed 12 people, including four nuns. One of the nuns, Cecilia Minz, was from India. The terrorists tied the nuns and others to threes and shot them in their heads.
Sister Sally, the sole survivor of the attack, later reported that while leaving the home after the massacre, the IS terrorists had taken Uzhunnallil with them.
Franciscan Sisters of Siessen, which is based in South Africa, last week posted on Facebook that the kidnapped priest might be crucified by IS on Good Friday.
Fr Vincent Matthew, a priest from the Salesian Bangalore Province, said: “We have absolutely no information from any reliable sources till date to confirm that Fr Tom has been crucified. Don't be carried away by the rumours in the social media."
The priest said efforts are still underway at all levels to secure his release.
"This is the information I can share for the moment," added Matthew.
Efforts to reach the head of Catholic church in Bengaluru, Metropolitan Archbishop Bernard Moras, were not successful as he was away from his residence.
Uzhunnallil's relatives said they were in contact with Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who regularly keeps in touch with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
With IANS Inputs