Catholic priest kidnapped in Iraq released -report

ROME, June 18 (Reuters) A Catholic priest has been released in Iraq after being kidnapped and held for ransom this month, the Rome-based Catholic news agency Misna said today.

Father Hani Abdul Ahad was snatched by unidentified gunmen in Baghdad on June 6. Four fellow Christians who were held with him were released two days later.

Misna quoted Shlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, as saying the priest had been released yesterday and was well.

The kidnappers had asked for a ransom, he said, without giving further details.

''We ask everyone to pay attention to our situation because at this moment Christians in Iraq are in a terrible state,'' he was quoted as saying. ''We have nothing against anyone, we only want to rebuild Iraq.'' Another Chaldean Catholic priest, Ragheed Aziz Kani, was killed this month by gunmen in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

The Chaldean rite is one of the ancient rites of the Catholic Church. Its members, mostly in Iraq and Syria, are in unity with Rome.

REUTERS KN SBA BST0055