The Iraqi Catholic archbishop of Mosul was kidnapped at gunpoint today in what the Vatican called an "act of terrorism".
Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa (66), was believed to be the highest-ranking Catholic prelate to be abducted in Iraq, where churches have been the target of a bombing campaign that has rattled the tiny Christian minority.
"The Holy See deplores this act of terrorism in the firmest manner and demands that the worthy pastor is swiftly freed unharmed to continue to carry out his ministry," Chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said.
Bishop Casmoussa was kidnapped by gunmen in two cars in the northern al-Majmoua al-Thaqafiya district of Iraq's third largest city.
The archbishop was on his way to visit some families from his flock when the attack took place, he added, but was not clear whether the motive was political, sectarian or financial, in a country where kidnapping for ransom is common.
Most of Iraq's Christians, who make up some three per cent of the 25 million population, belong to the early Assyrian and Chaldean churches.
While Christians had little political power under Saddam Hussein, they were free to worship and did not feel threatened by sectarian violence.
But Iraq's 650,000 or so Christians have been trickling out of their ancient homeland since the US-led invasion in 2003 as insurgents step up attacks against both Muslim and Christian holy places in an apparent bid to inflame sectarian tension.
On August 1 st, five churches in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul were bombed in coordinated attacks that killed 12 people.
Five Baghdad churches were bombed on the October 16th start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and eight were killed in two church bombings on November 8th.
Midnight Mass was cancelled last Christmas, as several cities were under curfew and Iraq's Christian religious leaders feared renewed attacks.
Last month the Vatican's foreign minister warned that anti-Christian feeling was spreading in Iraq and other Muslim countries because of the war on terrorism.