Dubai: It is to be recollected that about nine months ago, an Indian priest Fr. Tom Uzhannalil was abducted from Yemen. Following up on the abduction, a vicar in United Arab Emirates had said that he had received a strong indication that Fr. Tom was still alive.
The Khaleej Times had recently reported that the Apostolic Vicariate of South Arabia had been making adequate efforts for the safe release of Fr. Tom who was kidnapped from Aden in March. A video of Fr. Tom was also recovered this week in which he was seen appealing to Pope Francis, Bishop Paul Hinder and the Indian Government to rescue him.
Based in Abu Dhabi, Bishop Paul Hinderis, the present Vicar Apostolic of the vicarate, speaking on Fr. Tom’s video had said, “It is very likely that the person appealing for rescue is Fr. Tom after considering his features and voice. Details of the video are still unknown. The whereabouts of Fr. Tom is also unknown but we have a strong indication to believe that Fr. Tom is still alive.”
The church has been making numerous appeals at the highest levels for the release of Fr. Tom. Paul Hinder has been in touch with various international and domestic diplomatic channels and are together working towards Fr. Tom’s safe release.
Bishop Paul Hinder also appealed to the people to pray for Fr. Tom’s safe release at the earliest. The Christmas mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral was dedicated to Fr. Tom’s release by Paul Hinder along with more than a thousand other people.
Fr. Tom Uzhannalil is a Kerala born priest who was kidnapped by terror group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in March. ISIS abducted him after attacking an old age home run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Aden.
