Priest freed after 564 days
NZPA-Reuter Damascus The Reverend Lawrence Jenco, a whitebearded American Catholic priest, has expressed happiness over his release from captivity in Lebanon and thanked Syria for its efforts to have all foreign hostages in that country restored to freedom.
“I am very to
have my freedom restored and pray to God for the release of the others,” Father Jenco said after he was taken by the Syrian Foreign Minister, Mr Farouq Shara, to the United States Ambassador in Damascus, Mr William Eagleton. At the Foreign Ministry, where the hand-over took place, Father Jenco
looked fresh in a beigecoloured safari suit despite his 564 days in the hands of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) organisation.
He was freed on Saturday in the Syrian-con-trolled Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon. Islamic Jihad says it is holding at least three other American hostages. Members of his family
in Joliet, Illinois, wept and shouted at news of his release and a spokesman said Father Jenco would probably be flown to West Germany today. Islamic Jihad, a proIranfan Muslim group, said it had released Father Jenco, who has heart trouble, because his health was deteriorating and as a "good gesture.”
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860728.2.70.15
Bibliographic details
Press, 28 July 1986, Page 8
Word Count
198Priest freed after 564 days Press, 28 July 1986, Page 8
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.