Indian Government rules out rumors about crucifixion priest Father Thomas Uzhunnalil.

Indian Government rules out rumors about crucifixion priest Father Thomas Uzhunnalil. (ucanindia).

The Indian government has ruled out crucifixion rumors about a Catholic priest abducted in Yemen early March and said hectic efforts are on to secure his freedom.

The release of Father Thomas Uzhunnalil is “imminent,” said Father Joseph Chinnayan, deputy secretary general of the national bishops’ conference after meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Saturday evening.

Swaraj has assured the Church delegation that Father Uzhunnalil is “safe” and that the government was adopting “all possible means for the quick and safe release” of the priest, Father Chinnayan said.

Father Uzhunnalil, a Salesain priest of Bangalore province, was taken away on March 4 by suspected Islamic terrorist after they attacked a home for the aged in Aden run by Missionaries of Charity nuns, and gunned down 16 people.

Church officials last week requested government’s help to establish the “real fate” of the abducted priest after rumors spread in the media that terrorists have tortured and crucified the priest on Good Friday.

Captors of Catholic priest Father Thomas Uzhunnalil have sent a video to the Indian government demanding millions of dollars in ransom, sources said on Tuesday.

The video showed Father Thomas, a Salesian priest, asking for help with a man standing behind him. However, there is no confirmation on whether Father Thomas Uzhunnalil is now dead or alive.

However, the church authorities said that they have no knowledge of the ransom video. 

The central government has reportedly received vital information from its Yemeni counterpart on the involvement of an ISIS affiliate group in the incident.

Even if the Central Government had received such demands from abductors, we assume that the former would not reveal the details as it would affect the efforts to secure his release, the church authorities said.

“We are pinning hopes on the central government’s positive approach to the issue. We strongly condemn the efforts on part of political parties to communalise such an unfortunate incident,” they added.

Father Chinnayan said the government refused to “divulge the details of the negotiations and the technicalities” as it would endanger the ongoing process.

However, she shared with the delegation “the strenuous effort” her ministry has taken to ensure a safe passage for Sister Rema, the only surviving nun in the Aden attack.

The Church delegation thanked the government on behalf of the “whole Church in India” for the various steps taken to rescue Father Uzhunnalil. Hmmmm.....It seems the Christian community pays ransoms to ISIS to get their flock members back. 

There is no confirmation that ISIS carried out Good Friday crucifixion of Catholic priest Tom Uzhunnalilin

Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil. Credit ANS (Agenzia Notizie Salesiane) Salesian News Agency

There is no confirmation that ISIS carried out Good Friday crucifixion of Catholic priest Tom Uzhunnalil in Yemen.(Catholicnewsagency).

Reports claiming that a kidnapped priest in Yemen was crucified over the weekend are likely false and irresponsible, the local bishop told CNA Monday.

Several blogs and media outlets are reporting that Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil was crucified by ISIS on Good Friday. However, there has been no confirmation of the event by friends, family or Fr. Uzhunnalil’s community.

The original reports were based on a statement Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna allegedly made during Easter vigil services.

On March 4, four gunmen attacked a Missionaries of Charity-run retirement home in Aden, Yemen, killing 16 people including four Missionary of Charity sisters. Fr. Uzhunnalil was kidnapped by the gunman during the attacks, which are thought to have been perpetrated by Islamic terrorists, though no specific group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Bishop Paul Hinder of Southern Arabia (whose apostolic vicariate serves Catholics in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen) told CNA on Monday that he has "strong indications that Fr. Tom is still alive in the hands of the kidnappers," but could not give further information in order to protect the life of the priest.

Bishop Hinder added that Cardinal Schönborn has since corrected his alleged statement, which was made on the basis of an incorrect statement from Archbishop Moras in Bangalore.


“Cardinal Schönborn has already corrected his statement which he had made on the basis of the wrong statement of Archbishop Moras in Bangalore. Certain media in India are too nervous and curious and not aware that they are playing with the life of Fr. Tom. I cannot say more for the reason I gave in my first sentence (to protect the life of Fr. Tom),” Bishop Hinder told CNA.

Rumors of a possible impending crucifixion spread last week on the basis of an unconfirmed e-mail and were dismissed by Fr. Uzhunnalil’s Salesian community as hearsay.

“We have absolutely no information” on Fr. Uzhunnalil, said Father Mathew Valarkot, spokesman for the Salesians’ Bangalore province to which the kidnapped priest belongs.

His comments were reported last week by both by ANS news, a Salesian news agency, and UCA News, an independent Catholic news source in Asia. More here and here.