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Father Tom Uzhunnalil meets with Pope Francis in Vatican City on Sept. 13, 2017. L\u2019OSSERVATORE ROMANO<\/p><\/div>\n
Photos of the encounter show an emotional scene as Fr. Uzhunnalil bends down to kiss the Pope\u2019s feet, after which the Pope tenderly gives the priest his blessing.<\/p>\n
While Fr. Uzhunnalil appeared with an overgrown beard in the majority of photos published during his time in captivity, today\u2019s pictures show him clean-shaven and dressed in clerics.<\/p>\n
According to L\u2019Osservatore Romano, Fr. Uzhunnalil thanked the Pope, saying \u201c(I) prayed for you every day, offering my suffering for your mission and for the good of the Church.\u201d These words, the newspaper reports, moved the Pope to tears.<\/p>\n
A Salesian missionary, Fr. Uzhunnalil first garnered the world\u2019s attention when he was kidnapped March 4, 2016, during an attack on a Missionaries of Charity home in Aden, Yemen, that left 16 people dead, including four Sisters.<\/p>\n
His international profile grew when rumors spread that he was to be crucified on Good Friday, which were later discredited. After that, numerous photos and videos were released depicting Fr. Uzhunnalil, thin and with an overgrown beard, pleading for help and for his release, saying that his health was deteriorating and he was in need of hospitalization.<\/p>\n
In comments to L\u2019Osservatore Romano, Fr. Uzhunnalil said he couldn\u2019t celebrate Mass while in captivity, but \u201cevery day inside, in my heart, I repeated the words of the celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n
The priest remarked that he would continue to pray \u201cfor all those who were beside me spiritually,\u201d and offered a special word of remembrance for the 16 people who died during the attack in which he was kidnapped.<\/p>\n
He also offered thanks to the government of Oman, in particular Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, and to the Holy See for their role in brokering his release.<\/p>\n
On his part, Pope Francis embraced Fr. Uzhunnalil and told him that he would continue to pray for him, as he had every day while the priest was imprisoned. Visibly moved, the Pope then gave the priest his blessing, L\u2019Osservatore Romano reported.<\/p>\n
Accompanying Fr. Uzhunnalil was Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay and a member of the Pope\u2019s Council of Cardinal advisers.<\/p>\n
In comments to L\u2019Osservatore Romano, the cardinal said that after this \u201cterrible experience, the essential message that Tom is about to convey is that \u2018Jesus is great and loves us.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
He recalled the words of the priest, who after being released said, \u201cTruly, every day I felt Jesus next to me, I always knew and felt in my heart that I was not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a Sept. 13 letter, Fr. \u00c1ngel Fern\u00e1ndez Artime, Major Rector of the Salesian order, said Fr. Uzhunnalil arrived to their community around 6 p.m. Sept. 12, having flown to Rome directly from the Muscat airport in Oman.<\/p>\n
He said Fr. Uzhunnalil will stay with them for a few days in order to ensure that he has medical treatment and time to rest, and also \u201cto be able to embrace him in the name of all brother Salesians and the entire Salesian family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Artime said that while they were aware that discussions were underway with the priest\u2019s kidnappers, the community did not know that Fr. Uzhunnalil had been freed until he was already on his way to Rome.<\/p>\n
He stressed that \u201cthe Salesian Congregation was not asked for any ransom payment,\u201d and said they are unaware of any payment that may have been made to ensure Fr. Uzhunnalil\u2019s release.<\/p>\n
The rector offered his thanks to the various parties involved in securing Fr. Uzhunnalil\u2019s release, as well as all those who kept the priest in their prayers.<\/p>\n
Fr. Uzhunnalil\u2019s freedom, he said, \u201cis a motivation to continue to respond in the future with utmost fidelity and authenticity to the call and to the charism he has entrusted to us, and to which Fr. Tom has given his life: the announcement of Jesus and his Gospel, preaching to young boys, girls and youth throughout the world, among them, the poor and abandoned.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a separate article published on the Salesian Information Agency, it was noted that after his arrival, one of Fr. Uzhunnalil\u2019s first requests was to pray in the Salesian community\u2019s chapel in the Vatican, and to celebrate Mass.<\/p>\n
Due to the necessity of immediate medical examinations, he was not able to celebrate Mass right away, but he asked if he could go to confession before the medical staff arrived, since he not had the opportunity while in captivity.<\/p>\n
The article says Fr. Tom was treated to a traditional Indian meal later that night. In sharing his experience with the community, the priest said he never once felt that his life was in danger, and that at one point, his captors provided medicine for his diabetes.<\/p>\n
No official date was given for when Fr. Uzhunnalil will return to India, however, he is expected to go back to Kerala within a few days.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav admin_label=”Post Navigation” in_same_term=”off” hide_prev=”off” hide_next=”off” prev_text=”PREVIOUS ARTICLE” next_text=”NEXT ARTICLE” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The priest remarked that he would continue to pray \u201cfor all those who were beside me spiritually,\u201d and offered a special word of remembrance for the 16 people who died during the attack in which he was kidnapped.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
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