“I have seen so many Catholics fall away from the Church due to lack of personal contact. We must go out to meet them."

They were travelling together April 22, 2013, when their vehicle was stopped by suspected islamist militants. Their driver, a Syriac Orthodox deacon, was shot and killed on the spot, but the two hierarchs were taken and have not been heard from since.

"During the call I could hear the shooting in the background. He says that the streets are empty, like in a ghost town: there are no cars moving about, you can’t see anyone or hear any voices in the neighborhood."

"A public health or education worker, for instance, makes around $6 or $12 per month, but the average cost of living for a family of five is around $200 per month."

There are laws against child marriages and forced marriages, but they are not implemented: "One reason is that all this happens mainly to Christians and Hindus."

"I kept asking myself why are the Ukrainians being killed by their neighbors? Why destroy their lives forever?"