Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul, 65, was kidnapped Feb. 29 in an attack that left his driver and two bodyguards dead. The Pope had made several public appeals for his release.

Catholic leaders in Iraq said March 13 that they had recovered the archbishop's body after the kidnappers told them where they had buried him.

In a March 13 telegram to Cardinal Emmanuel-Karim Delly of Baghdad, patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Pope Benedict said that after being informed of "the tragic death" of the archbishop, whom he called a "zealous pastor," he wanted to let Chaldean Catholics and all Christians in Iraq know that he is close to them. The Pope also said he was praying that the Lord would show "His mercy so that this tragic event would serve to construct a future of peace in the martyred land of Iraq."

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said Pope Benedict was informed immediately of the recovery of Archbishop Rahho's body.

"We all had continued to hope and pray for his liberation," Lombardi said. "Unfortunately, the most absurd and unjustified violence continues to weigh on the Iraqi people and particularly on the small Christian community, to whom the Pope and all of us are particularly close in prayer and in solidarity at this moment of great pain."

Lombardi said the Vatican hoped "this tragic event" would lead to a greater commitment by all, particularly the international community, to work for peace in Iraq.

Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad told the Italian Catholic agency SIR that the kidnappers had informed church leaders March 12 "that Archbishop Rahho was very ill," then a few hours later they phoned again to say he had died.

"This morning (March 13) they telephoned to tell us they had buried him," Warduni said.

The church sent several young men to an area just outside Mosul where the kidnappers had said the grave was located, and the body was recovered.

"We do not yet know if he died of causes tied to his precarious health or if he was killed," Warduni said, referring to the archbishop's heart condition, for which he needed medication daily. "The kidnappers told us only that he was dead."

Chaldean Bishop Rabban al Qas of Arbil told the agency AsiaNews, "It is a heavy cross for our church ahead of Easter."

Archbishop Rahho was kidnapped after leading the Way of the Cross service at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mosul. He was in his car with his driver and two bodyguards when the kidnappers attacked. The three people who were travelling with him were killed.

The kidnappers' demands reportedly included a $3 million ransom.

While mediators were in contact with the kidnappers early on, police and military intelligence officers were unable to find them.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki March 4 ordered Iraqi forces to maximize their attempts at releasing the archbishop, but the commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq said at the time that he was not confident the archbishop would be found alive.

Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling said March 5 that Archbishop Rahho "could easily be killed and that would be really unfortunate," reported the British news agency Reuters.

As soon as the news of the archbishop's kidnapping reached the Vatican, Pope Benedict began appealing for prayers for his release and pleading for an end of the violence in Iraq. So many Iraqis "continue to suffer from blind and absurd violence, which is certainly against God's will," the Pope said in his March 9 appeal.

Meanwhile, a Chaldean Catholic bishop said the United States must be held accountable for the death of Archbishop Rahho. Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim of the eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle, based in Southfield, Mich., said that particularly the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush is responsible for the terrorism and killing of Christians in Iraq. He said the administration is ignoring the problem.

"No one is defending us," he said. "They are killing Christians because they are Christians."

Ibrahim said the kidnapping and subsequent death of the archbishop threw into question the destiny of Christians in Iraq.

"We know that before the invasion of the Americans in Iraq, (terrorism) was no such a thing," Ibrahim said. "Christians and Muslims were living together, exactly like brothers and sisters, and that's it. But since the invasion, everything changes.

"Somebody has to be responsible," the bishop said. "Since the Americans are occupying Iraq, they have the responsibility of the security of every Iraqi, and in the first place minorities. I am not saying the Christians only — but they are doing nothing for them."