His Excellency the Eparch of the Diocese of Saint Peter the Apostle, Bishop Mar Emanuel Shaleta;
Their Excellencies Bishops Mar Sarhad Jammo and Mar Bawai Soro;
Brother-Priests of the Diocese;
Beloved monks and nuns,
Dear sons and daughters of the Diocese from different parishes;
Their Excellencies Bishops Mar Sarhad Jammo and Mar Bawai Soro;
Brother-Priests of the Diocese;
Beloved monks and nuns,
Dear sons and daughters of the Diocese from different parishes;
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7)
In all honesty, I would like to thank
all of you for your welcoming hearts, love, faith and your affection to
Christ and your Chaldean Church, above anything else. During our
pastoral visit, you were a living example of what a believer ought to
be. Accordingly, we, more than once, stated to you that “you have a
place in our hearts, and we are proud of you.” We are confident that
you will continue the same with your new bishop. I ask you to embrace
him: “Be in harmony with your bishop in everything you do… Be in harmony
with him as the harp is with its strings” (The Letter of Ignatius of
Antioch to the Philadelphians, chapter 3).
My beloved, the days we spent with you
were indeed a celebration. I thank, with deep gratitude, all the
people who accompanied us throughout our visit and those who organized
the celebrations and gatherings. Our thanks are extended as well to
the Chaldean League for its diverse activities and its interest in the
affairs of the Chaldean people.
My brothers and sisters: maintain the
urgency for Christ in your hearts and attitudes. Loyalty must only be to
Him and to the Church. “Everything belongs to you, and you to Christ,
and Christ to God” (I Corinthians 3:23). From this perspective, Christ
shall remain your ultimate example in the road of examining God’s love,
His mercy in pain, death and resurrection in an atmosphere of glory,
light and joy.
I also call upon you to fortify your
relationship with the Chaldean Patriarchate by abiding by the laws and
rules issued by the Holy Synod. Compliance with this relationship, the
laws and the liturgical regulations shall provide you immunity in favor
of the unity of our church and partnership with it, regardless of any
distances or disparities. Let your relationship to each other be that of
love and companionship to Chaldean and Christian values. Do not be
concerned or touched by the arrogant and conceited voices, which only
know the language of bickering, pointing fingers and cursing. May the
Lord God enlighten their hearts with His knowledge and love.
In conclusion, I would like to extend my
thanks and gratitude to His Excellency Bishop Mar Shlemon Warduni who
served you with dedication for 14 months and prepared the atmosphere for
the new bishop. May God bless him.
I conclude my epistle by assuring you
that your memories of joy and hope have been forever carved in our
hearts – – mine and that of the Auxiliary Bishop Mar Basilio Yeldo – –
thus you will always be in our prayers.
Yours sincerely,
+ Louis Raphael Sako
