By Baghdadhope
Meeting in Baghdad of the Council of the Heads of Christian Churches in Iraq.
"We met," declared to Baghdadhope Msgr. Shleimun Warduni, Chaldean Patriarch Vicar "to establish this council that will gather, we think twice a year, all the heads of the Christian churches in Iraq."
Does it mean that the already existing similar councils, such as those in Baghdad, Nineveh and the provinces of the North will be dissolved?
"No, but this new council will operate at national level by bringing together representatives of all the Christian churches: Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant. This is the constituent meeting in which the rules will be set, a kind of status that the works of the council will follow."
Who will chair the Council?
"The current meeting is chaired by the Chaldean Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Emmanuel III Delly, but there will be elections to determine who will preside it in the future and who will be the secretary."
Who is attending the meeting?
"Representatives of all the churches. Those who are not phisically present sent a written note. For the Chaldean church there are Cardinal Delly, me, Msgr. Jacques Isaac and Msgr. Andraous Abouna, for the Ancient Church of the East there is its Patriarch Mar Addai II, for the Latin church there is the bishop of Baghdad Msgr. Jean B. Sleiman, there is Msgr. George Qas Musa, Syriac Catholic bishop of Mosul, and there is Msgr. Avak Asadorian, bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church. All the churches, however, have joined this initiative, Catholic, Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East, Protestant and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Are there some topic of discussion in the agenda of this meeting?
"No. Not for now, the agenda will be decided for the next meeting."
Why this Council?
"It is necessary and desirable that the churches, all churches, meet in order to better face the challenges that the future of Iraq will bring to all its citizens. Our diversity will find, with the help of the Lord who always supports us, a common ground. What we all want is the good of our beloved country and for this we will work."