Vatican official outraged over Egyptian diplomat's murder in Iraq

Published: 2005-07-08

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, expressed his outrage that a diplomat committed to promoting peace and harmony was murdered in Iraq. Ihab al-Sherif, Egypt's ambassador to Iraq, was kidnapped July 2 in Baghdad and killed. Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed on a Web site July 7 that it had executed the 51-year-old ambassador; later the same day, the Egyptian government confirmed the death of the career diplomat. Cardinal Sodano sent his condolences to Nevine Simaika Halim Abdalla, Egypt's ambassador to the Vatican, and asked her to pass on Pope Benedict XVI's condolences and the assurances of his prayers to President Hosni Mubarak, his government "and the noble Egyptian people, lovers of peace."

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .