By SIR
150 young Iraqis will go to the World Youth Day of Madrid in August.
It was revealed to SIR by the Chaldean Patriarchal Vicar of Baghdad, mgr. Shlemon Warduni, who will lead the delegation. “Over 150 of them will go – the Vicar explains –, about one half of them from the capital, the rest from all over the country. For them, as well as for other young people from the Arab countries, I will hold three catecheses in Arabic about these subjects: ‘Rooted in Christ’, ‘Firm in faith’ and ‘Witnesses of Christ in the world’”.
The preparatory process is also intensive: “the organisation has already promoted two meetings in the Church of Saint Joseph in Baghdad, which involved lots of young people who also mobilised their parishes to raise funds, so that they could afford to travel to and register in the WYD. This is very significant and shows that the local church is very lively, although the situation in the country is still very tense”. Politically, mgr. Warduni states, “there is no agreement between the political leaders, and this is not helping the country’s stability. The rebuilding process is going on but slowly, the market is supplying the required materials, what is missing is unity. Without it, nothing can be done in the country. And this is partly why Christians keep emigrating. Now that the school exams are about to finish, many of our families will leave the country. A new exodus is looming ahead”.
150 young Iraqis will go to the World Youth Day of Madrid in August.
It was revealed to SIR by the Chaldean Patriarchal Vicar of Baghdad, mgr. Shlemon Warduni, who will lead the delegation. “Over 150 of them will go – the Vicar explains –, about one half of them from the capital, the rest from all over the country. For them, as well as for other young people from the Arab countries, I will hold three catecheses in Arabic about these subjects: ‘Rooted in Christ’, ‘Firm in faith’ and ‘Witnesses of Christ in the world’”.
The preparatory process is also intensive: “the organisation has already promoted two meetings in the Church of Saint Joseph in Baghdad, which involved lots of young people who also mobilised their parishes to raise funds, so that they could afford to travel to and register in the WYD. This is very significant and shows that the local church is very lively, although the situation in the country is still very tense”. Politically, mgr. Warduni states, “there is no agreement between the political leaders, and this is not helping the country’s stability. The rebuilding process is going on but slowly, the market is supplying the required materials, what is missing is unity. Without it, nothing can be done in the country. And this is partly why Christians keep emigrating. Now that the school exams are about to finish, many of our families will leave the country. A new exodus is looming ahead”.
