Kidnappers Release Catholic Archbishop

ROME — Almost as quickly as he was abducted, the Catholic archbishop of Mosul was released today by unnamed kidnappers, and Vatican officials insisted that no ransom was paid.

Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa, 66, was seized at gunpoint on Monday but released, apparently unharmed, today following swift international outcry.

Pope John Paul II, who had prayed for the safe return of the archbishop, said today he was gratified at the “happy outcome” of the potentially tragic incident.

The pope received news of Casmoussa’s release “with great satisfaction” and “immediately gave thanks to God,” Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in a statement.

“The kidnapping generated great surprise because the archbishop was admired by both Christians and Muslims,” he said.

Navarro-Valls said no ransom had been paid, despite reports from the Misna Catholic missionary news agency that the kidnappers demanded a $200,000 fee.

Father Tetrus Mosei, the vicar general of the Mosul diocese, reportedly received a phone call this morning demanding the payment, another Catholic wire service, Catholic World News, reported. Catholics in Mosul were collecting funds for the ransom payment when they heard that Casmoussa had been freed, the agency said.

He had been seized by gunmen near his church on Monday afternoon, the latest in a bloody spate of attacks by Iraqi insurgents on the country’s Christian minority. Casmoussa was the highest ranking prelate to be attacked.

Speaking later today to Vatican Radio, Casmoussa said he was not hurt and sought to minimize the religious overtones of his abduction.

“I’m happy to have returned to the bishop’s office,” he said. “I can say that I wasn’t mistreated. ... I think that my kidnapping was a coincidence. It doesn’t seem to me that they wanted to strike at the church per se.”