Death sentence for Archbishop’s killer
Timothy Lavin
The Iraqi Central Criminal Court sentenced an al-Qaida leader to death for the murder of a Chaldean archbishop last week, drawing praise from the US Government but angry opposition from Iraqi Catholic leaders, writes Timothy Lavin.
Ahmed Ali Ahmed, known as Abu Omar, was convicted of murdering the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, Paulos Faraj Rahho, and will face execution. Archbishop Rahho was kidnapped by masked gunmen as he left Mass in Mosul in late February and found killed in March.
"If he were still alive, Archbishop Rahho himself would not permit that someone would die for him," Auxiliary Bishop Shlemo Warduni of Baghdad said, according to Asia News. "This conviction does not meet Christian values," Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk told AFP. "We are not satisfied with this decision because the Church is against the death penalty."
The US embassy in Baghdad said the verdict was just. "Reiterating our condolences to the archbishop's family and community, we commend the Iraqi authorities for bringing the perpetrator of this brutal crime to justice," an official statement said.
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