Source: SIR
“They waited for him out of the church. They forced him to get out of his car and, with his face turned to the wall, they cold-bloodedly riddled him with bullets”. Exactly one year after his murder, mgr. Shlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, recalls with these words the death in Mosul of father Ragheed Ghanni, and three of his sub-deacons. “We hoped those could be the last victims of hatred, but that was not the case. There have been more, such as that of mgr. Paulos F. Rahho, bishop of Mosul, and then father Ganni. It was just mgr. Rahho who had celebrated his funeral. Less than one year later, the same fate fell on him. And we would also like to remember all the other priests and devotees who lost their lives or were abused”. “The Iraqi Catholic Church is becoming a church of martyrs – adds mgr. Warduni – but we must not lose hope. May their blood bring fruits of peace and security all over Iraq. The example of these martyrs must strengthen our faith. For Iraq, but also for all the other countries of the region, the exodus of Christians would be a catastrophe”. However, he concludes, “over these days the situation has slightly improved. In the Dora district, some Christian family have come back. The road to security is still long, the seminary and the nearby church of Saint James have been plundered, but hope supports us”.
“They waited for him out of the church. They forced him to get out of his car and, with his face turned to the wall, they cold-bloodedly riddled him with bullets”. Exactly one year after his murder, mgr. Shlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, recalls with these words the death in Mosul of father Ragheed Ghanni, and three of his sub-deacons. “We hoped those could be the last victims of hatred, but that was not the case. There have been more, such as that of mgr. Paulos F. Rahho, bishop of Mosul, and then father Ganni. It was just mgr. Rahho who had celebrated his funeral. Less than one year later, the same fate fell on him. And we would also like to remember all the other priests and devotees who lost their lives or were abused”. “The Iraqi Catholic Church is becoming a church of martyrs – adds mgr. Warduni – but we must not lose hope. May their blood bring fruits of peace and security all over Iraq. The example of these martyrs must strengthen our faith. For Iraq, but also for all the other countries of the region, the exodus of Christians would be a catastrophe”. However, he concludes, “over these days the situation has slightly improved. In the Dora district, some Christian family have come back. The road to security is still long, the seminary and the nearby church of Saint James have been plundered, but hope supports us”.