by MARY CHASTAIN 7 Oct 2012, 8:05 AM PDT
Father Christiaan Kappes, a priest for the Indianapolis Archdiocese, went missing in Greece last Monday after telling his family he feared for his life. His father, Virgil Kappes, encouraged his son to go to the US Embassy for help. While at the embassy, Father Kappes called his father, who over heard the conversation. The State Department confirmed Father Kappes did visit the embassy, but he did not request safe haven. His father said his son left the embassy because he was denied safe haven. Mr. Kappes thinks the State Department is trying to cover up a mistake.
Read more at Breitbart.com here........... http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/06/State-Department-Remaining-Mum-On-Missing-Priest-In-Greece
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The missing priest in Greece is alive!!!
An Indiana priest missing for nearly a week in Greece is alive and safe, according to his family.
A week after receiving frantic calls from Father Christiaan Kappas, in which he said his life was in danger, the Kappes family received another phone call Monday morning.
Father Kappas, who had been studying in the country for three years on behalf of the Vatican, called his family last weekend saying he and his translator, Ioanna Lekakou, were being followed and threatened by Lekakou’s family over her inheritance.
"He said, 'They won't let us stay. If I walk out of here I am dead, Dad. If you don't hear from me in 12 to 24 hours, I'm dead,'" Virgil Kappes said.
A week later, Virgil Kappes said his son didn’t say much about his time on the run. For now he simply told his family that he is finally safe.
"We started talking and he said, 'Dad, I don't care about the news. I'm just glad I'm here, out of the country,'" Virgil Kappes said.
"I just feel very relieved that I heard his voice,” said Nadia Charcap, Father Kappes’ sister. “I asked him, 'Are you okay? Are you injured?' He said, 'Nadia, I'm good. I'm okay. I'm good.' And so he just wants to get home."
Nadia says her brother also told her that Lekakou is with him and also safe, but she doesn’t know much more about their time on the run.
"He sounded tired, he sounded exhausted, which I would imagine,” Charcap said. “To know he's out of Greece, to know that there are people surrounding him that are going to get him here, it's just so relieving. That's it. That's all I wanted.”
"How would you be after running for, what you think might have been your life?” Virgil Kappes said. “I don't know. I have no idea, but all I'm going to do is thank God that my only son is coming back home."
The family hopes to welcome Father Kappes home in the next two to four days. That’s when they hope to know more about what happened during the past week.
"Of course everybody has questions. Everybody wants to know, and I want to know,” Charcap said. “That's why I wanted to talk to him so much longer, but every single question came to me and all I could do was cry when I heard his voice."
For now, Virgil says he’s just happy he finally received a different kind of call from his son.
"I'm not taking anything away from anybody else, but when you have a lost one and they come back… (I’m on) top of the world,” Virgil Kappes said. “Only a parent would know, and I'm not saying I love my son Chris more than I do my daughter, more than my wife, more than my son in law. All that I'm saying is that I'm drunk with happiness. I'm intoxicated, don't pull me over."
The Archdiocese of Indiana released a statement Monday following the news of Father Kappes.
The Archdiocese of Indiana was elated to learn from Father Christiaan Kappes’ family that Father Kappes is alive and safe. We are hopeful that he soon will be returning to the United States. We thank everyone for their prayers and support for Father Kappes and ask that people continue to pray for his safe return to Indiana. We also would like to thank the Vatican and all the authorities who have been searching for Father Kappes.
The priest's family said they are hoping to have Kappes back in the United States by Tuesday or Wednesday.
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