Un'altra chiesa riapre in Iraq. Mons. Sako (Kirkuk): "Gli uomini hanno chiuso la porta a Padre Dall'Oglio, il Signore gliene ha aperta un'altra, qui in Kurdistan"

By Baghdadhope*

E’ passato poco più di un mese da quando a Kirkuk è stata aperta una piccola cappella attigua all’arcivescovado caldeo della città e dedicata ai martiri cristiani dell’Iraq del post 2003. Uno spazio piccolo ma dal valore altamente simbolico sia nel ricordo dei martiri sia come segno della volontà dei cristiani che ancora vivono in Iraq di non abbandonare il proprio paese nonostante le difficoltà ed i pericoli.

A quel segno di determinazione e speranza se ne è aggiunto la scorsa settimana un altro: la riapertura a Sulemaniya della chiesa dedicata alla Vergine Maria il giorno 19 giugno con una messa solenne celebrata dall’Arcivescovo caldeo di Kirkuk, Mons. Louis Sako  che a Baghdadhope ha spiegato come l’edificio di culto sarà:  "luogo di pellegrinaggio ed accoglienza  per i gruppi religiosi e per i giovani che vogliono pregare e dare un senso alla loro vita.”

Alla sacra celebrazione hanno partecipato anche Padre Ayman Aziz, parroco della chiesa caldea di San Giuseppe a Sulemaniya ed il monaco Jenz della comunità di Mar Musa el-Habashi (San Mosè l’Abissino) in Siria che ha il compito di preparare la strada all’apertura proprio nel complesso della chiesa della Vergine Maria di una casa dell’ordine fondato dal gesuita Paolo Dall’Oglio che, proprio come la casa madre, aspira a diventare un centro della fede cristiana nonché del dialogo interreligioso che sembra aver trovato un nuovo centro di irradiazione nel Kurdistan iracheno come risultato della recente (12 giugno) espulsione  del fondatore dalla Siria.

Impossibilitato a presenziare alla riapertura della chiesa di Sulemaniya Padre Dall'Oglio è però arrivato a Kirkuk nei giorni successivi e domenica 24 giugno ha concelebrato con Mons. Sako la santa messa nella cattedrale caldea.
Ecco come Mons. Sako ha descritto a Baghdadhope l'evento: "L'Arcidiocesi ed i suoi fedeli hanno accolto con gioia l'arrivo di Padre Dall'Oglio che ha colpito per la sua fede, la sua lucidità ed anche per il coraggio che ha dimostrato e la speranza che irradia. Nell'omelia ha parlato della Siria ed ha chiesto di pregare per tutti i suoi cittadini, per la preservazione dell'unità del paese e soprattutto perché la pace prevalga. Noi condividiamo appieno queste preghiere ed a Padre Dall'Oglio ho ricordato che se gli uomini gli hanno chiuso una porta il Signore gliene ha aperta un'altra." 
Alla riapertura della chiesa dedicata alla Vergine Maria come segno di speranza sono seguiti nei giorni successivi degli incontri che, ci si augura, possano alleviare la difficile situazione dei molti cristiani che dal centro e dal sud dell’Iraq si sono spostati nel Kurdistan iracheno alla ricerca di sicurezza ma che devono convivere con i problemi pratici che un tale sradicamento sempre implica. 

E’ sempre Mons. Sako a riferire degli incontri infatti avuti con il Console Generale americano di stanza ad Erbil e con la moglie del presidente iracheno, Hero Talabani, proprio per discutere i problemi dei rifugiati, tra tutti quelli degli alloggi, dell’istruzione e del lavoro.         

Photo by Archdiocese of Kirkuk for Baghdadhope



Photo by Archdiocese of Kirkuk for Baghdadhope



I volontari del centro medico dedicato a Padre Ragheed Ganni a Roma per incontrare la comunità di Sant'Egidio.

By Baghdadhope*

“Anche se perdo la mia vita va bene, perché sarà con te e per te”.
Così diceva prima di morire assassinato Padre Ragheed Ganni, il giovane sacerdote caldeo ucciso a sangue freddo con tre diaconi il 3 giugno 2007 a Mosul.
Padre Ragheed, martire simbolo di tutti i cristiani che hanno perso la vita in modo violento negli ultimi anni in Iraq non è più tra noi che possiamo ricordare il suo sorriso e la sua incrollabile fede, ma la sua memoria continua a vivere in molti modi: nel mosaico a lui dedicato nel Collegio irlandese di Roma dove studiò, nella sua stola sacerdotale conservata nella basilica di San Bartolomeo sull’Isola Tiberina e soprattutto nelle persone che in suo nome hanno deciso di aiutare gli altri.
E’ il caso del “Father Ragheed Ganni’s Medical Centre” ad Erbil.           Il 13 ottobre 2007 (Padre Ragheed era stato ordinato sacerdote il 13 ottobre del 2001) a solo pochi mesi dalla morte del giovane sacerdote il centro medico fu inaugurato nella chiesa caldea di Mar Qardagh ad Erbil allora diretta da Padre Rayan P. Atto.

Oggi arriverà a Roma il gruppo di volontari che attualmente dedica il proprio tempo libero al funzionamento del Centro per una serie di incontri con la comunità di Sant’Egidio.

Baghdadhope ne ha parlato con Padre Atto, attualmente nella capitale italiana per motivi di studio.
“I medici ed i farmacisti volontari che lavorano nel Centro incontreranno la comunità di Sant’Egidio per conoscerla e comprendere il suo modo di fare volontariato e come vengono gestite le sue attività, ad esempio la mensa per i poveri. Oltre a ciò però l’incontro sarà anche momento di unione cristiana. Il 21 ed il 25 giugno, infatti, sono previste due preghiere comuni ed alla seconda parteciperà anche l’Arcivescovo di Erbil, Monsignor Bashar M. Warda.”
Lavoro e preghiera quindi…
“Non solo. Queste persone che tanto danno alla nostra comunità e che pur di venire in Italia per questa esperienza hanno pagato tutte le spese di viaggio e soggiorno vogliono visitare anche altri luoghi importanti della cristianità. Il viaggio ed il soggiorno, organizzati dall’Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi prevede infatti la visita a tutte le basiliche romane ma anche di Cascia, Assisi e della basilica di San Marco a Venezia.”
Quante persone arriveranno in Italia?
“In tutto 22. 14 sono i volontari del Centro Medico, 7 uomini e 7 donne, medici e farmacisti. 4 sono i volontari fondatori della “Casa della Speranza per Anziani” di Erbil diretta da Padre Azad Shaba, 2 sono gli accompagnatori ed infine ci sono due segretarie dell’Arcivescovo Monsignor Warda che adesso supervisiona le attività del Centro.”
Padre Atto, ci ricordi la storia del centro medico dedicato a Padre Ragheed Ganni.
“Aver avuto la grazia di conoscere Padre Ragheed ed aver vissuto l’immenso dolore per la sua morte ci ha spinto a voler creare qualcosa che per sempre ne perpetuasse il ricordo e che potesse essere di aiuto agli altri. Lui l’avrebbe fatto ma non gli è stato dato il tempo, purtroppo. In ogni caso come parroco della chiesa di Mar Qardagh insieme ad alcuni volontari decisi di creare questo centro. All’inizio si trattò solo di tre stanze dove i pazienti potevano ricevere medicine, essere sottoposti ad alcune analisi e trovare medici in grado di ascoltarli. Con il passare del tempo il centro si ingrandì fornendo sempre più prestazioni ed il 3 giugno del 2011, esattamente 4 anni dopo la morte di Padre Ragheed, è stato aggiunto anche un ambulatorio dentistico.”
Come siete riusciti a creare tutto ciò in un periodo così difficile per l’Iraq ed in cui centinaia e centinaia di famiglie cristiane si rifugiavano proprio nel Kurdistan iracheno in fuga dalla violenza del centro e del sud del paese?
“Molta buona volontà. Molto sacrificio ed aiuti da molti. All’inizio, quando potevamo solo distribuire farmaci ai malati, a fornirceli erano la Caritas e la Croce Rossa austriache che per le prime consegne si accollarono anche le spese di trasporto e che continuano ad operare a nostro favore per il reperimento dei farmaci. Nel 2009 il Centro fu visitato dal Vescovo di Stoccolma, Mons. Anders Arborelius ed a seguito di questa visita la Caritas svedese stanziò 10.000 $ che furono impiegati per la creazione dell’ambulatorio dentistico. Non dimentichiamo inoltre gli altri benefattori che ci hanno aiutato: Sarkis Aghajan, all’epoca ministro delle finanze del governo curdo, che stanziò 20.000 $ per la costruzione dell’edificio in cui è ospitato il Centro, la Fraternità di Padre Ragheed che ha sede in Svezia, ed infine i donatori privati, spesso malati che hanno trovato nel Centro aiuto materiale e nella chiesa aiuto spirituale. Tra non molto il bilancio finanziario del Centro sarà reso pubblico ed inviato a tutti i donatori”
Come funziona il centro?
“L’ambulatorio dentistico dove lavorano 4 specialisti è l’unico per le cui prestazioni siamo costretti, visto gli elevati costi di gestione, a chiedere un contributo ai pazienti che però riguarda i soli costi del materiale impiegato. Tutte le altre prestazioni sono gratuite.”
Che tipi di patologie possono essere curate?
“Il Centro distribuisce i farmaci ai malati cronici iscritti dai medici in un apposito registro. In sede lavorano, oltre ai dentisti, specialisti in pediatria, medicina generale ed otorinolaringoiatria e possono essere eseguite anche delle analisi. Oltre a ciò però il Centro è convenzionato con specialisti in neurologia, cardiologia e ginecologia che visitano gratuitamente nei propri ambulatori i pazienti da noi inviati e con alcuni centri di analisi che praticano loro prezzi favorevoli. E’ importante ricordare anche che il Centro ha potuto anche fornire farmaci ad altre strutture ospedaliere come ad esempio il centro di ematologia pediatrica di Nanakali ad Erbil.”
Padre Atto, lei ora studia a Roma ma si sente dal trasporto della sua voce quanto sia profondamente legato al Centro dedicato a Padre Ragheed. Cosa pensa vorrà dire per esso il viaggio dei suoi volontari in Italia?
“Per prima cosa dico che il Centro è come una cellula e che come ogni cellula crescerà con l’aiuto di Dio. Per quanto riguarda i volontari qui a Roma dico che sarà un’esperienza importante. Faranno tesoro dell’incontro con una realtà importante e consolidata come quella di Sant’Egidio e ciò darà loro una spinta ancora maggiore una volta tornati in Iraq. Dico inoltre però che anche per gli italiani che li incontreranno sarà un’esperienza che li sorprenderà e li arricchirà perché il lavoro di quei volontari, la loro determinazione, è segno tangibile della volontà dei cristiani rimasti in Iraq di testimoniare la fede con azioni concrete di cui noi tutti, fondatori e volontari del Centro dedicato a Padre Ragheed, siamo orgogliosi.”

Inaugurazione del “Father Ragheed Ganni’s Medical Center”

Rapporto sulla Clinica dedicata a Padre Ragheed Ganni ad Erbil

US apostolate offers help to Iraqi archbishop and teachers

By Catholic News Agency

Fort Worth, Texas, Jun 19, 2012 -  An archbishop and four teachers from Iraq's Kurdistan region are receiving help from a Dallas-based Catholic apostolate, in their effort to expand an English-language school for Chaldean Catholics.
“We’re helping them improve their English to better tell the school’s story,” explained Dr. James Patrick, a senior fellow of the Walsingham Society,  in a June 18 bulletin. The group is hosting the teachers along with Archbishop Bashar M. Warda, head of the Archdiocese of Erbil in Iraq's north.
Patrick said his society wants to assist the “small but growing school in Kurdistan,” in order to help members of Iraq's historic Catholic community remain in their homeland. The Chaldean Church predates the growth of Islam, but has suffered massive losses during the Iraq War and its aftermath.
The four visiting teachers are women in their early twenties who, like Archbishop Warda, follow the unique liturgical and spiritual traditions of Chaldean Catholicism. Their city of Erbil is Iraq's fourth largest, and is regarded as a regional capital.
Members of the Chaldean-rite church have established an International Baccalaureate school, which currently teaches students in four grades and will soon expand to eight. Eventually, administrators hope to establish twelve grades and a college.
Founded by graduates and associates of Fort Worth's College of St. Thomas More, the Walsingham Society seeks to promote Christian culture and classical education. Its members are training the archbishop and teachers, who have a basic command of English, in composition and presentation.
Patrick and other Walsingham fellows have been teaching the group for three weeks. “Those who brought them here would be proud” of their progress, the senior fellow said in Monday's update.
“Their visit has helped North Texas, too, to know something about Iraq that has some hope in it,” he remarked.
In a recent interview with the National Catholic Register, published June 12, Archbishop Warda recounted the persecution of Iraqi Catholics, while affirming that the country's Christian minority has “the capability to stay and build a good future for Iraq.”
The archbishop told the Register that he hoped to “raise the awareness of the issues in Iraq to build schools and hospitals,” in order to “stay and build the community,” preserving the Chaldean Church's culture and traditions.
The group will leave Dallas on Wednesday, continuing its travels in the U.S. to raise awareness of needs and opportunities within the Iraqi Church.

Bishop says war kills religion, freedom, conscience

By National Catholic Reporter

by  Jerry Filteau, NCR's Washington correspondent, in Atlanta for the bishops' June 13-14 spring meeting.

Atlanta - In a discussion on religious freedom, Bishop John Michael Botean made an impassioned plea against war at the U.S. bishops' national meeting in Atlanta.

"War is a killer," he said. "It kills conscience, and religion is the conscience of a people."

Botean, bishop of the Romanian Catholic Eparchy of St. George's in Canton, Ohio, drew a parallel between the violation of religious freedom entailed in paying insurance premiums for immoral medical procedures and the involvement of providing tax support for a war that provokes interreligious conflict and loss of religious freedom.

He made his intervention June 13 near the end of an afternoon session devoted chiefly to questions of religious freedom in the United States and around the world.

One of the main speakers in the session on global religious freedom had been Iraqi Bishop Shlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Babylon and president of Caritas Iraq. Warduni had just detailed the massive persecution and loss of religious freedom suffered by Iraqi Christians that began with the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and continues today.

Botean initiated his plea by quoting part of what Warduni said near the end of his talk: "The peace of Jesus is love. This love guides us to unity, because love works miracles and builds justice and peace. This can be realized when all the church works together in one heart and one thought. ...

"We want to cry out to you: we want peace, justice, stability, freedom of religion. No more war, no more death, no more explosions, no more injustice. Please help us talk to everybody. Push the cause of peace"

Botean said:

"Bishop Warduni drew the direct and very bright line, I think, between our capacity and our willingness to buy and pay for and engage in, if not bless, this or any other country's war-making desires, at the loss of religious freedom in any given country.

"It's only natural. War is a killer. It kills conscience, and religion is the conscience of a people.

"If we want to keep conscience, I think we have to do exactly what Bishop Warduni suggests and examine the connection which we might be experiencing in our own country between the state of permanent warfare -- the growing state of permanent warfare and conflict -- and the diminishing [of the] religious freedom that we enjoy here, and the loss of religious freedom that we have bought and paid for, not with insurance premiums, but with our tax dollars."

In the lead-up to the 2003 war in Iraq, Pope John Paul II went to extraordinary lengths to warn against it in public statements and to advocate against it through extensive Vatican diplomatic activity, even sending a special envoy to the White House to plead with the Bush administration not to go to war.

In November 2002, the U.S. bishops as a body publicly expressed "serious questions about the moral legitimacy of any preemptive, unilateral use of military force to overthrow the government of Iraq," and the bishops' conference and many bishops individually argued against a premature rush to war.

But when U.S. and coalition forces invaded Iraq in the spring of 2003, Botean was the only U.S. bishop to condemn the new war outright. In a March 7, 2003, pastoral letter to his people at the start of Lent, he bluntly called the pre-emptive invasion immoral.

"Any direct participation and support of this war against the people of Iraq is objectively grave evil, a matter of mortal sin," he wrote. "Beyond a reasonable doubt this war is morally incompatible with the Person and Way of Jesus Christ. With moral certainty I say to you it does not meet even the minimal standards of the Catholic just war theory."

In Giordania non c'è futuro per noi

Foto di Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre

By Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre

«Non voglio più tornare in Iraq». Lina – nome di fantasia – ha appena 34 anni. Ha lasciato Bagdad nel 2010, qualche giorno prima dell’attentato alla cattedrale siro cattolica di Saydat al Najdat: la sua Chiesa. Quel 31 ottobre, nell’attacco terroristico, è morto suo nipote.
Oggi Lina e suo marito vivono nella periferia Est di Amman, capitale giordana, visitata nei giorni scorsi da Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre. Come loro, migliaia d’iracheni che dall’inizio della guerra nel 2003 hanno trovato rifugio nel vicino regno hascemita.
I cristiani sono numerosi, ma i musulmani sono la maggioranza. Difficile, però, fornire stime precise. Le autorità locali parlano di circa 450mila persone, un dato probabilmente gonfiato per avvalorare a livello internazionale la “vocazione umanitaria” della Giordania. «E’ impossibile conoscere la cifra esatta» dichiar ad ACS Ra’ed Bahou, direttore dell’Ufficio di Amman della Pontificia Missione per la Palestina (la speciale agenzia della Santa Sede con sede principale a New York, che dirige e coordina tutte le organizzazioni e associazioni cattoliche impegnate negli aiuti alla Terra Santa).
E lo stesso organismo per i rifugiati delle Nazioni Unite, l’UNHCR, certifica un ben più ridotto 150mila.
Attualmente i cristiani iracheni fuggiti in Giordania sarebbero circa 20mila, ma prima del 2008 hanno raggiunto gli 80mila.
Qualunque sia il loro numero, i rifugiati non possono essere riconosciuti giuridicamente come tali, perché il regno hascemita non ha mai firmato la Convenzione Onu del 1951 relativa allo status dei rifugiati. Agli “ospiti” non è dunque permesso lavorare e devono vivere dei risparmi portati dall’Iraq. Chi in patria era povero è ora costretto a trovare un impiego irregolare o a farsi bastare quel poco inviatogli dai parenti che hanno già raggiunto l’Occidente. Ma anche i molti cristiani che appartenevano alla classe medio alta non riescono più a mantenersi. «L’esilio dura ormai da troppo tempo e i soldi stanno finendo» racconta Lina.
Il governo non fornisce alcun aiuto economico e l’Onu ha dovuto ridurre le donazioni.
«Andrei ovunque pur di fuggire da qui: America, Australia, Europa. In Giordania non c’è futuro per noi». Il desiderio di partire di Lina è diffusissimo, non solo tra gli iracheni. 

La meta d’elezione sono gli Stati Uniti, seguiti dalle altre società occidentali. Fadi, ventiquattrenne cristiano di rito caldeo fuggito da Bagdad lo scorso dicembre, vorrebbe andare in America per studiare informatica, mentre il suo amico Emanuel, 23, negli Usa preferirebbe diventare farmacista.
Ecco perché il Servizio per i Rifugiati dei Gesuiti ha deciso di organizzare nella capitale giordana dei corsi d’inglese e d’informatica. Ogni anno vi sono circa 2mila nuovi iscritti, di ogni etnia e religione. Al momento i musulmani sono la maggioranza a causa dell’arrivo di numerosi profughi siriani. Un pulmino dei religiosi trasporta gli “studenti” alla scuola della parrocchia greco-cattolica, dove li attendono i loro quattordici professori volontari. Attivati anche dei corsi online che consentono ai rifugiati di ottenere un diploma via Internet all’Università gesuita di Denver in Colorado. Per costruirsi così una nuova vita oltreoceano.

Experts warn about growing global crisis of religious freedom

By Catholic News Agency

by Michelle Bauman

The growing perception of religion as a threat to a free society is leading to persecution of believers around the world, according to speakers at a recent meeting of the U.S. bishops.
“Religious liberty is in global crisis,” said Thomas F. Farr, director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center for Religion Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University.
He explained that the crisis has “enormous consequences for the Church, the United States, the fate of democracy worldwide, the defeat of religion-based terrorism and the cause of international peace and justice.”Farr spoke June 13 to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as part of a two-hour discussion on both domestic and international religious freedom concerns.His address came during the conference’s June 13-15 general assembly in Atlanta, Ga.

Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, noted that Christians around the world face threats ranging from Church bombing to discriminatory legal restrictions.

Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad, president of Caritas Iraq, also spoke at the bishops’ gathering, discussing the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

He offered accounts of priests being kidnapped, tortured and held for ransom, as well as churches being attacked and worshipers being killed.

There has also been a “huge diaspora” of Christian communities in the region, he added.

“Some wonder if there is a big plot to empty Iraq, if not to empty all of the Middle East, of Christians,” he told the American bishops.

Bishop Warduni said that leaders in U.S. “bear a special responsibility” towards Christians in Iraq because the United States led the 2003 invasion that caused some of these problems between the religious groups.

“We ask you to do your best” to raise awareness and support for Iraqi Christians, he urged, explaining that the people in the region simply want to live peacefully with “no more war, no more death” and “no more explosions.”

Farr cautioned the U.S. bishops that a negative view of religion is leading to a continued erosion of religious freedom around the world, with disastrous consequences.

“Both history and modern scholarship demonstrate that a robust system of religious liberty in both law and culture is indispensable to individual human dignity and to the flourishing of civil society and nations,” he said.

He pointed to a Pew Research study indicating that 70 percent of the world’s population lives in a country where religious freedom is seriously restricted.

And the problem “is getting worse,” he said, citing studies indicating that “social hostilities” towards religious minorities are rising in many areas, including much of Europe.

Although this does not match the level of violent persecution seen elsewhere, “the root cause is quite similar,” Farr explained. In such countries, the free exercise of religion is not only seen as unnecessary, but is even viewed as a threat to democratic society.

While this view has commonly been held by tyrants and authoritarian regimes throughout the ages, the alarming development is that it is now being held by democratic majorities, he said.

Religion today is commonly treated as “merely an opinion” and possibly “dangerous,” he alerted the bishops, pointing to Europe, where an “aggressive secularist majority” refuses to allow religiously informed opinions to enter the public square.

This view is also growing in the United States, he cautioned, as religious freedom is increasingly being depicted as the mere right to worship privately.

Farr argued that American policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations is failing to alleviate infringements upon religious freedom around the world.

He observed that the current U.S. State Department has devoted “far more energy” to supporting gay agendas overseas than to addressing religious liberty concerns.

The American bishops can make a great contribution in “strengthening our understanding of the value of religious freedom,” Farr said, explaining that Church teaching on “the fundamental dignity and equality of every person in the eyes of God” is powerful for society.

The Church is “uniquely positioned” to help proclaim the importance of religious liberty and must work immediately to do so, he urged, because “the stakes are high.”

Chaldean bishop from Iraq pleads for support, action from US prelates June 14, 2012. Catholic News Service

Christians in Iraq Forced to Flee Terror, Archbishop Says June 15, 2012. Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Christians struggle to survive in Iraq

By Bishop Kevin Farrell's blog  June 14th, 2012

by  Kevin Farrell - Bishop of Dallas (USA)

During my visit to Ireland for the Eucharistic Congress my blog will consist of some instances of attacks on our religious liberty both here and abroad as recorded by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. My earlier  blogs on attacks on our religious freedom have been historical. This blog and the previous one are not history, they are current events.

A Concrete Example of Religious Persecution

Sunday evening Mass had just started at Our Lady of Salvation Catholic Cathedral on October 31, 2010 when explosions were heard nearby. One priest began shepherding parishioners into a fortified back room, but heavily armed suicide bombers entered the church and barricaded the doors. Another priest approached the attackers and begged them to spare the worshipers. He was shot and died with a crucifix in his hand. The attackers shot randomly as they rounded up the remaining parishioners and held them hostage. They tried to break into the fortified room where 60 people were huddled and when unsuccessful, threw grenades in through a window.

Several hours later Iraqi security forces stormed the church to free the hostages as the attackers exploded their suicide vests. In the end, 58 hostages, including two priests, a 3 month-old child, and police were killed; 75 were wounded. The walls of the church were scarred with bullets and blood. An Al-Qaeda affiliated group claimed responsibility

This attack was horrific and roundly denounced by many in Iraq and beyond. Pope Benedict expressed profound sorrow “at this absurd violence, which is even more savage because it struck defenseless people, gathered in God’s house, which is a house of love and reconciliation.”

Unfortunately, this attack was not the only one against Christians in Iraq, even though it remains particularly memorable due to the scale of the carnage. Christians, who before 2003 numbered about 1.4 million in Iraq, have often been targeted by extremists, some of whom are allied with political parties seeking advantage. In the unstable post-war political environment following the U.S.-led invasion, Christians are viewed as “soft targets” without their own militias.

Systematic kidnappings for ransom, even of priests and bishops, and killings have caused thousands of Christians to flee their homes. They either go abroad or are displaced internally, trying to find safe havens. Safety is hard to find, and some of these Iraqi Christians have been displaced numerous times and are running out of resources. The number of Christians in Iraq is now estimated to be about 400,000. Their future prospects remain difficult.

The Church in Iraq, which has existed since the earliest days of Christianity, is struggling to survive with so many having fled. Yet, many remaining Christians are trying to ensure that the new Iraq that emerges includes space for the historic Christian community to participate and serve in what has traditionally been a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society

What can be you do to help? Your prayers are critically important. Your concrete help is also vital to support organizations, like Catholic Relief Service and Caritas, which are providing essential services to displaced Iraqis. Your welcome is needed for Iraqi refugees who have made the difficult decision to come to the United States to start a new life. Your advocacy for continued U.S. government support for strengthening the rule of law in Iraq and assisting displaced Iraqis, including Iraqi Christians, lets them know they have not been forgotten.

The fight for political and economic power behind recent bloody attacks, says Kirkuk archbishop

By Asia News

by Joseph Mahmoud

"The country's main political leaders and parties are vying for political and economy hegemony," said Mgr Louis Sako, archbishop of Kirkuk (northern Iraq), who spoke to AsiaNews in the wake of the recent wave of deadly attacks that left more than 80 people dead and 200 wounded in 18 car bombs and 40 explosions. Such carnage had not been seen since US troops pulled out in December. Targets included Kurdish offices, Shia pilgrims, and Sunni police and civilians.

One has to go back to 2006 and 2007, when tens of thousands of people died, to find anything similar, local political analysts and experts said. Now, the latter fear that the country might plunge again into a bloody ethnic-confessional conflict. The involvement in Iraq of regional rivals like Saudi Arabia and Iran can only increase insecurity and cause greater violence.

"Yesterday, we had bombs and explosions everywhere," Mgr Sako said. "Attacks occurred in the capital Baghdad, Mosul, Hilla, Baaquba, Tikrit, Ramadi and Samawa. In Kirkuk, one person died when three bombs went off near the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in the Rahim-Awa District. A Christian journalist was wounded by the blast."

In the capital, four bombs killed 30 people, mostly Shia pilgrims. In Hilla, south of the capital, two car bombs targeted a restaurant frequented by police and security agents, killing 22.

Iraq's government "was formed only eight months ago and is not fully complete," the archbishop of Kirkuk explained. "Yet, it's already the object of distrust and attempts to change it."

The country's political factions "cannot agree or work together. They are only looking out for their own interests rather than the overall good" of the nation. "Kurds, Sunnis associated with the Iraqiya party and Sadrists distrust Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki," who is instead backed by "a majority of Shias and some Sunni groups."

Regional power games are also affecting the domestic political scene. "Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar favour change, whilst Iran and the United States are close to the current Iraqi prime minister," the prelate told AsiaNews.

This dual internal and external fight is "causing great tensions," he noted. "Yesterday's attacks are part of the overall picture;" not to mention what is "happening in Syria and other countries."

"Each ethnic and confessional group is carving out its own space and taking land. It is building its own houses and institutes to project power. This is not the time for a formal change, because it would create a power vacuum that would progressively worsen security conditions."

Attacks are further indication of the widening conflict among the country's various ethnic (Arabs, Turkmen and Kurds) and confessional (Shia and Sunni) groups, once held together by Saddam Hussein's dictatorship but now fighting forthe country's territory and wealth (oil and gas).

Arcivescovo di Kirkuk: dietro le stragi, la lotta per il potere politico-economico

By Asia News

by Joseph Mahmoud

In Iraq è in corso "una lotta fra i principali leader politici" e "i grandi partiti" per la conquista "del potere e dell'egemonia in campo economico". Così mons. Louis Sako, arcivescovo di Kirkuk, nel nord dell'Iraq, commenta ad AsiaNews la serie di attentati che hanno investito ieri il Paese, provocando oltre 80 morti e 200 feriti per lo scoppio di 18 autobombe e 40 ordigni. Si tratta di uno dei più sanguinosi attacchi dalla partenza delle truppe statunitensi nel dicembre scorso. Gli attacchi bomba hanno colpito uffici curdi, pellegrini sciiti, agenti di polizia e civili sunniti; analisti ed esperti di politica locale ricordano gli anni 2006 e 2007, in cui sono morte decine di migliaia di persone e non nascondono il timore che il Paese possa di nuovo sprofondare in un conflitto etnico-confessionale sanguinario. E gli interessi delle potenze regionali nel panorama irakeno, basati sulla contrapposizione fra Arabia Saudita e Iran, contribuiscono ad alimentare la spirale di insicurezza e terrore.

"Ieri si sono ripetute bombe ed esplosioni dappertutto" racconta mons. Sako. "Gli attacchi hanno interessato la capitale Baghdad, Mosul, Hilla, Baaquba, Tikrit, Ramadi e Samawa" e anche a Kirkuk è morta una persona in seguito allo scoppio di tre autobombe, situate nei pressi della sede del partito democratico curdo della regione di Rahim Awa. "Nella deflagrazione - aggiunge il prelato - è rimasto ferito anche un giornalista cristiano". Nella capitale sono decedute almeno 30 persone, in maggioranza pellegrini sciiti, per lo scoppio di quattro bombe. A Hilla, a sud della capitale, due autobombe hanno preso di mira un ristorante frequentato soprattutto da poliziotti e agenti della sicurezza: 22 le vittime.

L'arcivescovo di Kirkuk ricorda che in Iraq vi è "un governo formato da soli otto mesi, ancora incompleto, e che già vogliono sfiduciare e cambiare". Egli spiega che "non c'è accordo e partecipazione" fra le fazioni politiche, che guardano in modo egoistico al proprio interesse piuttosto che al "bene complessivo" della nazione. "I curdi, una parte dei sunniti che fanno riferimento al partito Iraqiya e i sadristi - aggiunge mons. Sako - vogliono sfiduciare il premier Nouri al Maliki", che gode invece del sostegno della maggioranza "deli sciiti e di alcuni gruppi sunniti".

Al quadro politico interno, si aggiungono poi gli interessi delle nazioni dell'area Mediorientale. "Turchia, Arabia Saudita e Qatar - sottolinea il prelato ad AsiaNews - sono favorevoli al cambiamento, mentre l'Iran e gli Stati Uniti sono vicini all'attuale Primo Ministro irakeno".
Questa duplice  lotta intestina e internazionale, commenta, è "fonte di grande tensione" e "gli attacchi di ieri si inseriscono in questo contesto". Senza dimenticare, puntualizza, "quello che sta succedendo in Siria e in altri Paesi". "Ogni gruppo etnico o confessionale - conclude l'arcivescovo di Kirkuk - sta guadagnando un proprio spazio, si accaparra terreni e costruisce case e istituti per ostentare potere. Non è tempo per un cambiamento formale: anzi, si genera un vuoto di potere che porterà a un progressivo peggioramento delle condizioni di sicurezza".

Gli attentati sono un segnale ulteriore del conflitto profondo che vede opposte le varie etnie (arabe, turcomanne e curde) e confessioni che formano il Paese, un tempo riunite sotto la dittatura del rais Saddam Hussein e ora impegnate in una "guerra" intestina per la spartizione del territorio e delle ricchezze - petrolio e gas naturali - presenti nel sottosuolo (cfr. AsiaNews 10/01/2012 Il conflitto fra sciiti e sunniti, per la divisione confessionale dell'Iraq).

Errata corrige

By Baghdadhope*

Nel post precedente: Prima comunione secondo il rito caldeo a Monaco di Baviera, il nome del sacerdote che ha concelebrato la santa messa con Padre Sami Danka Alrais non è Joseph Mosart ma Josef Moser.  

Prima comunione secondo il rito caldeo a Monaco di Baviera

By Baghdadhope*

 
Domenica 27 maggio 25 bambini hanno ricevuto la prima comunione secondo il rito caldeo nella chiesa dedicata a St. Wolfgang a Monaco di Baviera, in Germania.
La santa messa è stata celebrata in aramaico, la lingua del rito caldeo, da Padre Sami Danka Alrais, il sacerdote responsabile della missione caldea di San Pietro in Baviera e da Padre Joseph Mosart che di quella missione è il responsabile per conto della locale arcidiocesi.
La comunità caldea nel solo stato federato di Baviera, secondo quanto riferito da Padre Danka Alrais a Baghdadhope, conta circa 6000 fedeli che vivono a Monaco di Baviera, sede della missione caldea, ad Augsburg (Augusta) Nürnberg (Norimberga), Memmingen e Passau.

Chaldean Archbishop: True Christianity Is a Persecuted Christianity

By National Catholic Register

by Tim Drake,  Register's senior writer

Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda serves the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil in northern Iraq. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1993 and joined the Redemptorist order. He became archbishop in 2010. He recently spoke with Register senior writer Tim Drake about the violence facing Christians in the Middle East and the primary concerns of Catholics in Iraq.

 Where are you from originally? Has your family always been Catholic?

I grew up as a Chaldean Catholic in Baghdad. The Christian roots of my family go very deep.

  When were you ordained?

I entered seminary in 1981 at the age of 12. After finishing high school, I was ordained in 1993. I joined the Redemptorists in 1995 and did my licentiate in moral theology at the Catholic University in Louvain. In 1999, I went back to the Redemptorist mission in Baghdad. In 2001, I was asked to be the pastor at Baghdad’s largest parish in southern Baghdad. We had 3,000 families.

By the end of 2004, the violence, bombing and the killing of Catholic priests had started in Baghdad. That made it difficult for the seminary to remain in Baghdad. During that time, three of the seminary staff were kidnapped. I was asked to be director of the seminary. We ended up moving the seminary north. In 2010, I was enacted as archbishop of Erbil. We have 28,000 Chaldean Catholics. There are another 2,000 Christians from other churches.

  Can you provide a brief overview of the religious affiliations found in northern Iraq?

The three northern provinces are largely inhabited by the Kurdish people. They are neither Christian nor Arab, but Sunni. They speak the Kurdish language in two different dialects. They have their own culture, but since the 1940s or ’50s, they have maintained that they are Iraqis. My parents, who were born in northern Iraq, speak Kurdish fluently. They were forced to leave northern Iraq in the 1970s.

In addition, there are some Arab families who are there for business, who left the violence. Christians have been there for centuries. Yazidi is another ethno-religious group there. They have been a very closed group, but we’re getting to know them more and more.

  What is the relationship between Christians and the Kurds?

Recently, they’ve been very welcoming and have responded positively.

  In America, there’s the general belief that when we increase popular rule, we will increase freedom of religion. This isn’t necessarily true in places such as Egypt, Iraq or Syria. How do you see the so-called “Arab Spring,” in terms of the ability of Christians to freely worship and live safely? Has it made Christians more or less safe?

When you take it in a general theoretical manner, Christians flourish when there is freedom. With freedom, we would have our own schools, colleges and civil services. But the problem in the Middle East is that things are not politically mature yet. There is too much extremism. So many people say that Islam should be the solution to so many political issues. We don’t know how that will end. Iraq is very immature politically. Dialogue is too often violent. It isn’t easy. Can democracy be mature enough to hold all people together? I doubt it. Theoretically, yes, but you have to first prepare the conditions for that.

  Following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, there has been a significant reduction in the number of Christians in Iraq. Why is that?

Yes, there’s been a reduction. Christian churches were targeted, Christians were threatened and killed, and many were forced to move elsewhere. There are so many reasons that many felt there was no future for them amidst an immature political process. The political process is based on family and tribal connections. Those in the U.S. look at the situation and wonder what’s going wrong. They say, “They have a constitution; there was an election. Things should be going okay.” What those on the outside don’t realize is that tribal connections are working on the inside. The tribes and parties look out for their own interests. Iraq is a very wealthy country, with a $100-billion budget, and many resources, such as oil. There’s much greed. So, for Christians, there are many reasons for them to leave — and maybe one or two reasons for them to stay.

  Where are Christians going? Are there any safe enclaves for Christians in the Mideast?

They have gone to Syria, to Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, but all of these are “waiting countries.” People tend not to stay there. Forty-four percent of Iraqi asylum seekers are Christian. They are going to any place that will speed the process of immigration. Other families seek final settlement in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. Those who are not able, who are too poor or do not have the means to travel, often move inside the country to places such as Erbil and northern Iraq.

  How might the instability in Syria affect Christians there?

It’s precarious. Syria is sensitive because Lebanon would be affected by Syria. It would cause chaos there as well as to the Christian presence in Iraq. When there’s chaos, it is not a good time for minorities.

  Do you see post-communist Russia as a possible defender of Christians in the Mideast?

No, primarily because of communism. The Orthodox are very strong in Russia, but, politically speaking, we cannot view them as our defenders.

  What are three things you would like American Catholics to know about Catholics in Iraq?

First, that Christianity has had a presence in Iraq for 2,000 years. It’s a very old community. It has not been converted from Islam. We were there before Islam. Our schools were always the best, even from the sixth and seventh centuries. Second, we’ve been through a very difficult time. We are grateful to the many people who have held out a hand of charity and solidarity with us, the various Catholic charities. However, we would like to leave this path of charity for the path of opportunity. Yes, we are a minority, but we have the capability to stay and build a good future for Iraq. Third, I would like to see more of a commitment by the media to raise the awareness of the issues in Iraq to build schools and hospitals. We are not benefitting from the wealth that Iraq has. We need to find ways to stay and build the community. When we leave Iraq, it’s a big loss. When I visited our communities in Detroit, the second and third generations are no longer speaking the language. Our whole culture is gone.

  Do you see a peaceful generation coming?

Yes, that’s what we have to work for. The next generation is not following in the footsteps of their parents because they are tired of the mess. So many voices are asking when, for what and why? These courageous questions are helpful.

  What do we miss when we lump the Middle East together as a region?

There are areas of the Middle East that people can safely visit and benefit from. The roots of Christianity are there. We managed to open an international school in Erbil. We had five Americans from Washington and Dallas who are committed to helping us. I depend on them to come back to tell their story, not from a political point of view, but what it’s like to live among the community and in the heart of the community. The more you visit, the more you realize the richness and diversity of what’s there. You also learn about the dialogue between the communities and the lines that you have to respect. More positive articles and reports could help Americans and Europeans know more about the Middle East. We do not want to be on the news only because of violence and killings.

  We use the term New Evangelization frequently in America. What does the term New Evangelization mean in Iraq?

For me and my community and the coming Year of Faith, we have prayed for that a lot and have had retreats and workshops to prepare and celebrate with the young people in our parishes. We see it as strengthening our relationship with Jesus who suffered and was crucified. This means reflecting on our wounds and not just bearing them, but taking these wounds with joy that we have participated in the suffering of Our Lord. We believe that true Christianity is a persecuted Christianity. That’s true all over the world. We can reflect on the past 10 years and say that the Lord is telling us something here. We have to deepen our relationship with him and announce the Catholic faith in a new vision which would welcome all those who are at the margins.

One of the bad effects of 2003 is that it’s opened the country for new evangelical groups who have come to steal from our community and churches. They come in ignorance telling us, “We are going to tell you about Jesus Christ.” I respond by saying, “Yes, I know him.” These groups succeed because they have financial ability. I told a group from Dallas, “You are weakening Christianity here. We are weak enough here in number, and you are dividing us. If you want to help Christians, first come to my place, not to places outside my diocese to try to attract others.”

  What would you like to see in terms of support from the Church? What are the primary intra-Church issues facing your diocese and community?

I would like to see if there is a possibility for American churches to start adopting a parish that cannot pay for their activities or the priest’s salary. I would like to see if there is a possibility from Catholic universities to provide one or two scholarships for the best Christian students. I would like to see some of the wealthy families participate in supporting students to go to good private schools in Iraq.

This year we have started the project of building a new hospital, which would create 300 jobs and enhance the economy of the area. We are also thinking of building a university where we could attract as many as 5,000 Muslim students. Universities could start a program there in the English language that could attract Muslim students and help the area economically.

The Vatican’s Congregation of the Eastern Churches is meeting next week. They have been helpful. I am grateful for medical relief, but we need more.

We would like to see long-term projects that would help the whole country. If there are any Catholic hospitals that would have an interest in adopting a hospital or developing an affiliation, I am appealing for any Catholic hospitals or universities willing to work with us to support us and give us the needed push. We need American Catholic universities and hospitals to be with us at this historical moment.

  When you live in a society where there are a great many people who would be pleased if you didn’t exist, how do you build trust?

God wants me here. For the past 2,000 years, he has wanted us here, and he has taken care of his Church.

Some might ask, “Why build a $4-million school or a $30-million hospital if it could be taken from you?” It’s God’s Church. He will provide. From the outside, you see all of the political sides and say, “I cannot do this,” but when you live here, you realize that there is a Spirit. The Spirit of God takes you in all these directions. This Catholic pilgrimage gives strength to us all. As Mother Teresa said, “If what you build, they tear down tomorrow, build it anyway.”

Incontro dei vescovi USA ad Atlanta. Mons. Warduni (Baghdad): "L'Iraq deve rimanere unito"

By Baghdadhope*

All'incontro dei vescovi cattolici degli Stati Uniti che si terrà ad Atlanta dal 13 al 15 giugno si parlerà anche di libertà religiosa negli Stati Uniti ed all'estero.

A relazionare sulla situazione dei cristiani in Iraq sarà Mons. Shleimun Warduni, vicario patriarcale caldeo che, di passaggio a Roma dopo aver partecipato alle giornate mondiali di Milano dedicate alla famiglia, ha accennato a Baghdadhope i punti chiavi della sua relazione in programma ad Atlanta. 

"Il mio intervento si concentrerà sulla chiesa caldea e sulla sua storia. Naturalmente parlerò anche della situazione dei cristiani in Iraq e sulle conseguenze della guerra. Dell'insicurezza in cui ancora viviamo, delle minacce e delle violenze che hanno quasi interamente svuotato alcune zone delle città dove vivevano molti cristiani, come a Dora, una zona di Baghdad dove ai cristiani sono state lasciate solo terribili alternative: abbandonare le case, convertirsi all'Islam, pagare la jizya, la tassa cioè chiesta dal Corano ai sudditi non-musulmani che vivono nella Umma islamica, dare in sposa le proprie figlie ai capi islamici della zona o essere uccisi. Ricorderò i nostri martiri, tutti i cristiani che hanno perso la vita in questi anni e tra essi Mons. Faraj Raho, l'arcivescovo di Mosul rapito ed ucciso e Padre Ragheed Ganni, il giovane sacerdote di Mosul ucciso a sangue freddo davanti la sua chiesa. Queste minacce e queste violenze sono alla base della piaga che maggiormente ci affligge: l'emigrazione che ha sparso i nostri fedeli in tutti i continenti e che ha ulteriormente ridotto il numero dei cristiani in Iraq. Per quelli che vivono ora negli Stati Uniti chiederò ai vescovi americani  di far il possibile perchè possano essere garantiti loro i pieni diritti.

L'Iraq è un paese ancora pieno di problemi ma nonostante ciò quello che vogliamo, che io personalmente voglio con tutto il cuore, è un paese unito in cui tutti collaborino per il bene comune lasciando da parte gli interessi legati ai partiti ed alla religione."

Family 2012: Mons. Warduni (Iraq) "Il Papa prega sempre per il Medio Oriente"

By SIR

“Benedetto XVI segue con vicinanza quanto accade in Iraq e in tutto il Medio Oriente, pregando per la pace ed il dialogo” E’ quanto ha dichiarato al SIR mons. Shlemon Warduni, vicario patriarcale di Baghdad, riferendo del pranzo con il papa della famiglia Haseeb di Mosul, che si è svolto ieri a Milano nell’ambito del VII Incontro mondiale delle famiglie. Benedetto ha pranzato con sette famiglie da tutto il mondo, con i cardinali e i vescovi, “tra loro anche il patriarca latino di Gerusalemme, Fouad Twal”, che per l’occasione, ha detto mons. Warduni, “ha fatto da interprete tra la famiglia irachena ed il Santo Padre”. Imad Haseeb, questo il nome del capofamiglia, era accompagnato dalla consorte: “Imad è uno dei fondatori, insieme al vescovo caldeo di Mosul, mons. Faraj Raho, rapito ed ucciso nel marzo del 2008, dell’associazione ‘Amore e gioia’ che si occupa di bambini disabili” ed oggi presieduta dallo stesso mons. Warduni. “Imad, che è rimasto contentissimo di questo incontro, ha salutato Benedetto XVI chiedendogli di pregare per l’Iraq e il Medio Oriente, per la pace dei suoi popoli, ottenendo dal Pontefice rassicurazioni. Benedetto XVI ha risposto che prega sempre per il Medio Oriente, per le sue popolazioni e per i suoi dirigenti che siano illuminati da Dio nel guidare i loro Paesi verso la pace. Posso dire che sperimentiamo la vicinanza del Papa tutti i giorni” ha ribadito il vicario patriarcale. La delegazione irachena all’incontro di Milano era formata da 24 persone, tra cui due consacrati, tre sacerdoti e diverse coppie, e guidata da mons. Warduni.

Chrétiens d'Orient : Mgr Casmoussa, de Mossoul à Marcq-en-Baroeul...

By La Voix du Nord
by Benoit Deseure

Il a connu trois guerres, un dictateur nommé Saddam Hussein, a été enlevé par un groupe islamiste armé en 2005... Mgr  Georges Casmoussa, archevêque de Mossoul jusqu'à il y a quelques mois, fait partie des figures hors du commun de ce que l'on appelle les «  chrétiens d'Orient ».

« J'ai connu des périodes noires », glisse-t-il sans s'attarder. On veut bien le croire : ses ravisseurs ne lui ont-ils pas mis un couteau sous la gorge, lui demandant son dernier message, lors de sa captivité ? « J'offre le sacrifice de ma vie pour la paix en Irak  », répond-il alors. C'était en janvier 2005 et l'archevêque de Mossoul a finalement eu la vie sauve.

Mais l'enfant de Qaradosh, au nord de l'Irak, sait qu'il ne reste plus dans son pays que 400 000 des 900 000 chrétiens qui habitaient l'Irak avant l'invasion américaine de 2003. Qu'un évêque, des prêtres ont été assassinés, des églises bombardées. « Je ne regretterai jamais Saddam Hussein, mais l'Occident nous a débarrassés d'un dictateur pour le remplacer par des dizaines d'autres qui agissent comme lui, sinon de façon pire, qui ne défendent que leurs intérêts personnels ou tribaux », assène-t-il.

Né en 1938, ordonné prêtre en 1962, nommé archevêque de Mossoul en 1999, Georges Casmoussa vient de publier un ouvrage intitulé Jusqu'au bout . Il sera dans la région lundi pour une rencontre, discrète, avec Mgr Laurent Ulrich, l'archevêque de Lille, puis avec les autorités de l'Université catholique. Mais aussi et surtout pour tenir une conférence sur le thème « Chrétiens d'Orient, un vivre ensemble islamo-chrétien est-il possible ? », en soirée, à Marcq-en-Baroeul.

« L'arrivée des Américains a généré un courant islamiste qui s'est intensifié depuis. Cependant, si ce courant se réclamait ou se réclame encore de l'islam, je suis convaincu que l'islam n'est souvent qu'un alibi pour ces groupes avant tout opportunistes et mafieux ».

Lui qui dit se sentir plus proche de son « frère arabe ou kurde musulman » que de son « frère chrétien occidental », croit en un « vivre ensemble » paisible : « On voit grossir un courant d'intellectuels musulmans, des citoyens lettrés qui défendent une citoyenneté commune, un partage des pouvoirs, une égalité de chances entre les communautés et les sexes. 

Il faut croire que, malgré tout ce qui se passe de dramatique, chrétiens et musulmans vivront encore ensemble, demain, sur cette terre d'Irak  », assure ce fils d'une famille de modestes paysans, formé par les dominicains. L'espérance au coeur, coûte que coûte.  •

« Jusqu'au bout », de Mgr Georges Casmoussa, éditions Nouvelle Cité, 20 euros.

 

Conférence lundi à 20 h 30 à l'église Saint-Paul, boulevard Clemenceau à Marcq-en-Baroeul.

Remembering a Martyred Iraqi Priest

By About.com
by Scott P. Richert

Five years ago, on June 3, 2007 (Trinity Sunday in that year, as it is in 2012), Fr. Ragheed Aziz Ganni was martyred outside of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mosul, Iraq, after celebrating Mass. Three subdeacons also lost their lives in the attack.

Much has changed in Iraq in the last five years, but very little of it for the better. Like Pope John Paul II and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) and Chaldean Catholic patriarch Emmanuel III Delly, Father Ragheed had predicted that the U.S.-led war in Iraq would be disastrous for the Christian population. By most estimates, as many as 90 percent of Iraqi Christians have fled the country since 2003, with many finding refuge in Syria, where they are now once again threatened by the uprisings against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Throughout the Middle East, Christians are the unreported victims of violence unleashed by U.S. intervention and the so-called Arab Spring.

The threats against the priest began less than a year after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and Father Ragheed suspected that his days were numbered. Yet he found in persecution a renewed faith and a cause for hope. And his death, as tragic as it was, helped at least one Muslim friend of Father Ragheed to understand what the true Christian life entails: the willingness to follow Christ unto death, and through one's own death, to preach Christ and His Resurrection to the world.

As we remember Father Ragheed and his fellow martyrs (Basman Yousef Daoud, Ghasan Bidawid, and Wadid Hanna) on this Trinity Sunday, we look ahead to the Feast of Corpus Christi, of the Body and Blood of Christ, this week, and recall the prophetic words of this martyred Iraqi priest:

here are days when I feel frail and full of fear. But when, holding the Eucharist, I say "  Behold the Lamb of God Behold, who takes away the sin of the world "   I feel His strength in me. When I hold the Host in my hands, it is really He who is holding me and all of us, challenging the terrorists and keeping us united in His boundless love.

As the Eucharist gave Father Ragheed the strength to face his martyrdom in faith, may it, and the example of Father Ragheed and his fellow martyrs, give us the strength as well to face the trials and tribulations of our own lives. And may God grant Fr. Ragheed Aziz Ganni, Basman Yousef Daoud, Ghasan Bidawid, and Wadid Hanna eternal rest.