Fr Ragheed Ghanni - Shot dead when he refused to close his church
On June 3, 2007, Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, Fr Ragheed Ghanni was killed along with three subdeacons including his cousin in front of Mosul's (Iraq) Holy Spirit Chaldean Church where …More
On June 3, 2007, Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, Fr Ragheed Ghanni was killed along with three subdeacons including his cousin in front of Mosul's (Iraq) Holy Spirit Chaldean Church where he was parish priest.
Fr. Ragheed had just finished celebrating the Sunday evening Mass. The three deacons had recently decided to accompany Fr. Ragheed because of threats against his life.
After Mass as he was walking away from the church with the 3 deacons and the deacons' wives, the group was stopped by unknown armed men.
One of the gunmen shouted at Fr. Ragheed that he had warned him to close the church and demanded to know why he didn't do it.
Fr Ragheed replied asking "How can I close the house of God?"
The gunmen ordered the woman to flee (the wives of the deacons who were with them).
Then the gunmen demanded that the four men convert to Islam - they refused and were shot dead.
Fr. Ragheed had just finished celebrating the Sunday evening Mass. The three deacons had recently decided to accompany Fr. Ragheed because of threats against his life.
After Mass as he was walking away from the church with the 3 deacons and the deacons' wives, the group was stopped by unknown armed men.
One of the gunmen shouted at Fr. Ragheed that he had warned him to close the church and demanded to know why he didn't do it.
Fr Ragheed replied asking "How can I close the house of God?"
The gunmen ordered the woman to flee (the wives of the deacons who were with them).
Then the gunmen demanded that the four men convert to Islam - they refused and were shot dead.