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| Fr. Walter William Rozario |
A Bangladeshi Catholic priest who was abducted in the north-east on Monday, ahead of the visit of Pope Francis to the country, was found alive in Sylhet city on Friday.
Father Walter William Rozario is said to have fled from his kidnappers and got in touch with his family, his elder brother Bimal Rozariao told Star Online. Bimal said Fr. Walter contacted their younger brother Amol Rozario from Shyamoli bus stop in Sylhet’s South Surma upazila (sub-district).
Vatican reporter in Dhaka, Sartre Xavier who has been in touch with the assistant parish priest of Fr. Walter, said Fr. Walter’s elder brother and the police have talked to the assistant parish priest about the rescue.
Biblop Bijoy Talukdar, superintendent of police in Natore District, said a joint team of Natore and Sylhet police recued Fr. Walter from the bus stop Friday afternoon.
The 41-year old parish priest of Maria Virgo Potens Church, went missing in the evening of Nov. 27. Sources in the parish told UCANEWS.com said the priest who is the headmaster of church-run St. Louis High School at Borni, was engaged in preparing for the Pope’s visit. On Nov. 27, Father Walter went to the Bonpara Christian stronghold area to oversee printing of a souvenir magazine dedicated to two local deacons who were ordained by Pope Francis in Dhaka on Dec. 1. He disappeared on his way back to his parish by motorbike. Local Church officials filed a police report on the disappearance.
On Wednesday, his family members said that the abductors demanded Tk300,000 as ransom over mobile phone for release of the priest.
Was this a miracle or did Vatican officials arranged to pay the ransom in secrecy? Three hundred thousand taka (Tk300,000) is approximately USD 3,644.54. [2] Was the police department also paid for their intervention and possibly their assistance in negotiating the amount of ransom? Is this not how some places without a strict enforcement of laws (assuming there are laws) work, like a business? In some countries, no ransom will be paid based on the principle that bad people must not profit from doing bad things, and for fear that subsequent kidnappings will demand a higher and higher ransom.
In the end, is it not all about money, whether it goes to pay the bad guys who are lawless who have their families to feed or the good guys working their jobs in maintaining law and order in form of salaries who also have families to support?
This brings to mind an entirely differnt point. On Judgment Day, how will Christ weigh one's love in one's heart against one's sins? Who wants His job, judging billions of souls individually? Does anyone? Eve did. Perhaps giving her what she had wanted which was to be like God, and all the work that goes with being God, which the Serpent omitted to mention, and also giving the same to those who crave money and power in the world today, and increasing what they crave exponentially, reaching infinity, and with that, all the responsibilities of maintaining creation and creating at the same time, would be a perfect and lasting fulfillment of all wishes. Would this eternity be like hell for a human, being like God but not quite God?
Some may ask if wanting to be Christ-like is the same as wanting to be like God. The answer is no. Christ is the Son of God Who became man. God was never man. Adam who was created in the image of God was man. He was not God's twin. Christ became man for the salvation of man's soul due to the fall of Adam and Eve. The path of Christ is man's path to Heaven. Wanting to be Christ-like is to want to live a holy life in preparation for Heaven. One who wants to be like God wants to step on Christ and stand above Him and rule over Heaven, Hell and all of creation, except that nobody can come to God except through Christ. [3]
Speaking of Christ, does anyone notice a crucifix in the photograph above that was part of the article? The calender (on the right) seems to show an image of Christ crucified.
[1] http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/12/01/abducted_bangladeshi_fr_%E2%80%8Ewalter_william_rozario_%E2%80%8Efree_/1352368
[2] http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=300000&From=BDT&To=USD
XE Currency Converter: BDT to USD
[3] http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/14, 6.
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