New video of Fr. Tom is released with a dire warning

Please pray for the release of Fr. Tom.

A new video of Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil has been released. Fr. Tom was taken hostage in March of 2016 by terrorists in Yemen. So far, neither the Church nor the Indian government have managed to secure his release.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil has appeared in a new video calling on all people to do more to secure his release.

In the video, Fr. Tom has a long, white beard. He speaks slowly and deliberately in his usual soft tone. He opened by thanking whoever sent him a message of goodwill. The details of the message he received were not released. He criticized the slow response of the Church and the Indian government, which have still not secured his release. He also warned that his health is deteriorating and he will need hospitalization as soon as possible. Finally, Fr. Tom blessed all those who are praying and working for his release.

Fr. Tom was working in a retirement home in Yemen when the facility was raided. Several people, including four nuns, were killed by the terrorists and Fr. Tom was taken hostage.

The terrorists made demands to secure his release, but those demands went unmet. Shortly afterward, rumors surfaced that Fr. Tom had been crucified, on Good Friday no less. The rumors were started by an Austrian cardinal, which lent credibility to the report. However, the rumors were false.

Since then, efforts have been made to secure his release, according to Church and Indian officials. But those efforts have proved unsuccessful.

A novena for the release of Fr. Tom was prayed around the world in January. Pope Francis also released a video petitioning for his release.

Fr. Tom is a hostage in a civil war which has embroiled Yemen since 2015. More than 6,000 people have died in the conflict.