Washington D.C., Apr 29, 2013 / 11:11 am
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a plea for the release of two kidnapped Orthodox archbishops in Syria.
"The kidnapping of two men of peace is a sign of the terrible violence that is destroying the fabric of Syrian society," Cardinal Dolan said in an April 26 statement.
He explained that the plight of the archbishops, along with the murder of their driver, "continue to weigh heavily on the hearts of people of good will."
On April 22, Archbishop John Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church and Archbishop Paul Yagizi of the Greek Orthodox Church were kidnapped near Aleppo, Syria by armed men who appear to have killed their driver.