By Baghdadhope
Card. Vingt-Trois (CEF) "May the artisans of peace never give in to discouragement"
Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, the archbishop of Paris and president of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), expressed his “dismay and deep sorrow” at the October 31 attack by Al Qaeda terrorists on the Syrian Catholic church of “Our Lady of Hope” in Baghdad that killed more than 50 people, including two priests, and wounded many faithful who were attending the Mass. In a letter sent today to Mgr. Athanase Matti Shaba Matoka, archbishop of Babylon of the Syrians, Card. Vingt-Trois wrote: “In these dramatic hours in which a blind and gratuitous violence has struck the Christian community in Iraq, I would like to assure you and all Christians in Iraq of my closeness and that of all Catholics in France”. Giving assurances of his prayers and those of the French Catholics “for the victims, their families, the wounded and all those who are victims of violence in the country”, the CEF president expressed the hope that “the Lord may receive the departed in his light and peace, give strength and comfort to those who mourn” and “cheer up the artisans of peace and justice on this mortally wounded earth, so that they never give in to discouragement”.
U.S. Bishops: "The US has a moral obligation not to abandon vulnerarable Iraqis"
In a statement released today, the U.S. Bishops’ Conference (USCCB) expressed its “closeness and solidarity” with the Iraqi Christian community and Church, following the October 31 terrorist attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral of “Our Lady of Hope” in Baghdad that killed 58 people and wounded 75. In their message, signed by the USCCB president card. Francis George, the U.S. bishops reaffirmed their support to the “bishops, Church and people of Iraq in their urgent search for greater security, freedom and protection. We call upon the United States to take additional steps to help Iraq protect its citizens, especially the most vulnerable”. Cardinal George pointed out that if on the one hand the U.S. Bishops’ Conference has “welcomed the end of U.S. military operations in Iraq”, on the other it shares “the Iraqi bishops’ concern that the United States failed to help Iraqis in finding the political will and concrete ways needed to protect the lives of all citizens, especially Christians and other vulnerable minorities, and to ensure that refugees and displaced persons are able to return to their homes safely. Having invaded Iraq, the U.S. government has a moral obligation not to abandon those Iraqis who cannot defend themselves”.
Attack on church, Casmoussa (Mosul) "a human catastrophe, let the UN intervene"
“A genuine catastrophe, both human and religious. We feel totally unprotected, the UN must come into play: it is essential by now, to protect this small community!”. This was said by mgr. Basile Georges Casmoussa, Syro-Catholic archbishop of Mosul, to the microphones of the Vatican Radio, as he spoke of last Sunday’s terrorist attack against the Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad, where 58 people died, including eight children, ten women and two priests. And today mgr. Casmoussa, along with the Syro-Catholic metropolitan archbishop of Baghdad, mgr. Athanase Mati Shaba Matoka, officiated the funerals of the two priests, denouncing on several occasions the lack of appropriate protection by the Iraqi authorities. “For our Christian community, it is a genuine catastrophe, both human and religious! – the prelate said – This will cause panic. We keep offering a helping hand for dialogue, to join forces, to forget the past, to overcome all our pains … But then, when we see that, especially the authorities, give no adequate response, we feel totally unprotected. Then, the UN must come into play: it is essential by now, to protect this small community”.
According to mgr. Casmoussa, if the authorities “did all they could, they should first and foremost implement a peacekeeping policy; then, they must change the rules, so that Christians are entitled to have the same rights as the other citizens”. But above all “a government of national unity must be appointed. The authorities must make the Christian churches and communities safe, through laws and through the police, so that Christians may trust their country and their future again. Nice words and nice speeches are not enough”.
The Chaldean Procurator to the Holy See, mgr. Philip Najim, also spoke of a “barbaric attack against humanity, against the Church, against religion, against human dignity”. An attack firmly condemned by all the Iraqi community: “yesterday, I heard that lots of Muslims went to donate blood for the victims in the church. The extremists have been condemned by the Muslims themselves: by that Islam which knows God, which knows faith, which knows love, which knows charity”.
Card. Vingt-Trois (CEF) "May the artisans of peace never give in to discouragement"
Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, the archbishop of Paris and president of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF), expressed his “dismay and deep sorrow” at the October 31 attack by Al Qaeda terrorists on the Syrian Catholic church of “Our Lady of Hope” in Baghdad that killed more than 50 people, including two priests, and wounded many faithful who were attending the Mass. In a letter sent today to Mgr. Athanase Matti Shaba Matoka, archbishop of Babylon of the Syrians, Card. Vingt-Trois wrote: “In these dramatic hours in which a blind and gratuitous violence has struck the Christian community in Iraq, I would like to assure you and all Christians in Iraq of my closeness and that of all Catholics in France”. Giving assurances of his prayers and those of the French Catholics “for the victims, their families, the wounded and all those who are victims of violence in the country”, the CEF president expressed the hope that “the Lord may receive the departed in his light and peace, give strength and comfort to those who mourn” and “cheer up the artisans of peace and justice on this mortally wounded earth, so that they never give in to discouragement”.
U.S. Bishops: "The US has a moral obligation not to abandon vulnerarable Iraqis"
In a statement released today, the U.S. Bishops’ Conference (USCCB) expressed its “closeness and solidarity” with the Iraqi Christian community and Church, following the October 31 terrorist attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral of “Our Lady of Hope” in Baghdad that killed 58 people and wounded 75. In their message, signed by the USCCB president card. Francis George, the U.S. bishops reaffirmed their support to the “bishops, Church and people of Iraq in their urgent search for greater security, freedom and protection. We call upon the United States to take additional steps to help Iraq protect its citizens, especially the most vulnerable”. Cardinal George pointed out that if on the one hand the U.S. Bishops’ Conference has “welcomed the end of U.S. military operations in Iraq”, on the other it shares “the Iraqi bishops’ concern that the United States failed to help Iraqis in finding the political will and concrete ways needed to protect the lives of all citizens, especially Christians and other vulnerable minorities, and to ensure that refugees and displaced persons are able to return to their homes safely. Having invaded Iraq, the U.S. government has a moral obligation not to abandon those Iraqis who cannot defend themselves”.
Attack on church, Casmoussa (Mosul) "a human catastrophe, let the UN intervene"
“A genuine catastrophe, both human and religious. We feel totally unprotected, the UN must come into play: it is essential by now, to protect this small community!”. This was said by mgr. Basile Georges Casmoussa, Syro-Catholic archbishop of Mosul, to the microphones of the Vatican Radio, as he spoke of last Sunday’s terrorist attack against the Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad, where 58 people died, including eight children, ten women and two priests. And today mgr. Casmoussa, along with the Syro-Catholic metropolitan archbishop of Baghdad, mgr. Athanase Mati Shaba Matoka, officiated the funerals of the two priests, denouncing on several occasions the lack of appropriate protection by the Iraqi authorities. “For our Christian community, it is a genuine catastrophe, both human and religious! – the prelate said – This will cause panic. We keep offering a helping hand for dialogue, to join forces, to forget the past, to overcome all our pains … But then, when we see that, especially the authorities, give no adequate response, we feel totally unprotected. Then, the UN must come into play: it is essential by now, to protect this small community”.
According to mgr. Casmoussa, if the authorities “did all they could, they should first and foremost implement a peacekeeping policy; then, they must change the rules, so that Christians are entitled to have the same rights as the other citizens”. But above all “a government of national unity must be appointed. The authorities must make the Christian churches and communities safe, through laws and through the police, so that Christians may trust their country and their future again. Nice words and nice speeches are not enough”.
The Chaldean Procurator to the Holy See, mgr. Philip Najim, also spoke of a “barbaric attack against humanity, against the Church, against religion, against human dignity”. An attack firmly condemned by all the Iraqi community: “yesterday, I heard that lots of Muslims went to donate blood for the victims in the church. The extremists have been condemned by the Muslims themselves: by that Islam which knows God, which knows faith, which knows love, which knows charity”.
Attack on the cathedral, DBK "a brutal attack"
Mgr. Robert Zollitsch, President of the German Bishops Conference (Dbk), reacted “with great dismay” to the massacre in the Syro-Catholic church of Baghdad. In a release published yesterday, mgr. Zollitsch said, on behalf of Dbk: “We are deeply upset for this brutal attack and we pray for the dead and injured people who were peacefully gathered in the Church to celebrate Mass. We also sympathise with their mourning families and friends”.
The President of Dbk invited the congregation to pray for Christians in Iraq and all over the Middle East: “Just one week ago, the Special Synod for the Middle East closed, in the Vatican, with an urgent appeal to peace in the region. Weapons must be silenced in Iraq and in the Middle East. I ask Christians in Germany to pray for the victims of Baghdad and for peace in Iraq”, went on Zollitsch, who asked the international community – especially the USA – and the Iraqi authorities to “firmly fight this consistent threat against Christianity in Iraq”.
The President of Dbk invited the congregation to pray for Christians in Iraq and all over the Middle East: “Just one week ago, the Special Synod for the Middle East closed, in the Vatican, with an urgent appeal to peace in the region. Weapons must be silenced in Iraq and in the Middle East. I ask Christians in Germany to pray for the victims of Baghdad and for peace in Iraq”, went on Zollitsch, who asked the international community – especially the USA – and the Iraqi authorities to “firmly fight this consistent threat against Christianity in Iraq”.
World council of churches, solidarity and sympathy with Iraqi Christians.
Firm condemnation from the World Council of the Churches “of the criminal terrorist attack" which took place last Sunday in a Christian church of Baghdad and “deep sympathy and solidarity with all those who have lost their beloved ones”.
Taking the floor at the international Islam-Christian conference taking place in Geneva since November 1st, secretary general Olav Fykse Tveit said that “the World Council of the Churches is deeply upset at the relentless sufferings of Christians in Iraq and expresses solidarity with all the Churches that are going through dark, difficult times and do not stop testifying to God’s love and peace in Jesus Christ, even amidst hatred and aggression. This is not the first time – Tveit went on – that these attacks have been targeted to the Christian communities in Iraq. The authors should be committed to justice, and the governmental authorities should take responsibility for providing security to all citizens, especially those who live in vulnerable conditions”. The Geneva meeting, called “Changing the communities: Christians and Muslims to build a common future”, will end tomorrow with the publication of a joint statement.
Taking the floor at the international Islam-Christian conference taking place in Geneva since November 1st, secretary general Olav Fykse Tveit said that “the World Council of the Churches is deeply upset at the relentless sufferings of Christians in Iraq and expresses solidarity with all the Churches that are going through dark, difficult times and do not stop testifying to God’s love and peace in Jesus Christ, even amidst hatred and aggression. This is not the first time – Tveit went on – that these attacks have been targeted to the Christian communities in Iraq. The authors should be committed to justice, and the governmental authorities should take responsibility for providing security to all citizens, especially those who live in vulnerable conditions”. The Geneva meeting, called “Changing the communities: Christians and Muslims to build a common future”, will end tomorrow with the publication of a joint statement.
The funeral of father Thair Sad-alla Abd-al and father Waseem Sabeeh Al-kas Butros will be held in Baghdad today, in the Chaldean church of Saint Joseph’s, which is not far from the Syro-Catholic church of Our Lady of Salvation that on October 31st was hit by an Al Qaeda terrorist attack that killed over 50 people, including the two priests, and injured dozens of devotees who were at church for Mass.
This was revealed to Baghdadhope by mgr. Shlemon Warduni, Chaldean patriarchal vicar. "It is not known yet who will officiate the funereal ceremony – mgr. Warduni said –; there will be, of course, the patriarch of the Chaldean church, card. Mar Emmanuel III Delly, and mgr. Georges Casmoussa, Syro-Catholic bishop of Mosul, while we do not know yet if there will be mgr. Athanase Mati Shaba Matoka, Syro-Catholic bishop of Baghdad, who at the time of the attack had not yet come back to Iraq after the Synod for the Middle East held in Rome".
As to casualties, mgr. Warduni stated that “there are many, and we do not know how all of them are. For the time being, all I can say is that the Chorepiscop father Rufail Quataimi seems to be a bit better. Let’s pray for him and for all the victims".
This was revealed to Baghdadhope by mgr. Shlemon Warduni, Chaldean patriarchal vicar. "It is not known yet who will officiate the funereal ceremony – mgr. Warduni said –; there will be, of course, the patriarch of the Chaldean church, card. Mar Emmanuel III Delly, and mgr. Georges Casmoussa, Syro-Catholic bishop of Mosul, while we do not know yet if there will be mgr. Athanase Mati Shaba Matoka, Syro-Catholic bishop of Baghdad, who at the time of the attack had not yet come back to Iraq after the Synod for the Middle East held in Rome".
As to casualties, mgr. Warduni stated that “there are many, and we do not know how all of them are. For the time being, all I can say is that the Chorepiscop father Rufail Quataimi seems to be a bit better. Let’s pray for him and for all the victims".