The Shepherds' Prayer, The Audio Book

I've been very busy at work lately. So, I decided to try an audio book. I can listen to the audio on my way to and from work. It worked well, and I enjoyed the experience.

Dec. 28th is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. According to St. Matthew:

Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

"The Shepherds Prayer" looks at the birth of Jesus from the prospective of the people who witnessed the murder of the innocent children of Bethlehem. The book also sheds light on the faith of the shepherds who followed the star to the manger where Jesus was born.

Both aspects make it a good read for anyone who wants to deeply explore the birth of baby Jesus.

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The Shepherd's Prayer
Audio Book

"Noel," Josh Groban's Christmas CD

Being a big fan of Josh Groban, I couldn't resist buying his Christmas music CD. He released it in October 2007.

I'm not into Christmas music. But, Josh's majestic voice can't be resisted. I've been listening to "Noel" since I bought it last month. The more I listen to the songs on the CD, the better they get. It's the best pre-Christmas gift I've bought for myself this year.

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Josh Groban: Noel

No Christmas in Basra

Source: Ankawa Online
Basrawi Christians and Muslims attend the funeral of Maysoon, 42, and Osama, 45, Fareed At Mar Afram Chaldean Church in Basra, Iraq. The two siblings were killed by members of the Shia Militias on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007.


By Queen Amidala
Basra, Iraq

Dear all,

With great sorrow, I bring sad news. The militias struck again. This time, they killed a brother and sister. The militias kidnapped them, killed them and then dumped their bodies away from their residence.

If it wasn't for the people who witnessed the murder and then collected the corpses, the dogs might have feasted on their bodies.

The victims names are Mayson and Osmam Fareed. They lived in our neighborhood and attended our church.

Neither one had any connections to the Brits. Mayson worked at a local clinic. Osama was a maintenance worker. They lived in a rented house owned by a Sunni family, who fled Basra. The militias wanted to evict them from the house. The siblings refused to submit to the militias' harrasment. People say the Shia militias wanted the house for a Shia family that was displaced from another part of the country.

The murder of Mayson and Osama hit the Basrawi Christian community very hard. Fr. Emmad, who collected their bodies and presided over the funeral, asked us to cancel any Christmas celebrations this year. In light of Mayson and Osama's death, we all agreed.

There is more disturbing news. Female university students who don't cover their heads are being threatened by students, who are members of the Shia militias.

My family, including myself, decided to flee the country as soon as possible. There's no safe place in Basra anymore.

Pray for us. I know you always do.

Regards,

Queen Amidala
Basra, Iraq

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Related Links:

إلغاء احتفالات الميلاد في البصرة بعد خطف شابين مسيحيين وتصفيتهما
استشهاد شقيقين من أبناء الطائفة المسيحة في البصرة
مسيحين في البصرة يلاحقون من قبل المليشيات

Iraqi Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly

Source: Ankawa Online

When Pope Benedict XVI elevated Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly to the rank of a cardinal, I knew the Pope was highlighting the plight of the Iraqi Christian community. The Associated Press reports what I already knew:

Among them was Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly, 80, who received special mention in Benedict's homily.

"By calling the patriarch of the Chaldean Church to enter into the College of Cardinals, I wanted to express in a concrete way my spiritual closeness and my affection" to Iraq's Christians, Benedict said to applause.

"Our brothers and sisters in faith are experiencing in the flesh the dramatic consequences of an ongoing conflict and are living in an extremely fragile and delicate political situation," he said, adding that he was praying for peace and reconciliation in the country.
[...]
Delly had unusual vestments as well, because he is a patriarch from an Eastern rite church. Rather than wearing the red cassock with white lace or linen surplice that the other cardinals donned, Delly wore all crimson. He also received a round, black-trimmed red hat rather than the three-pointed red "biretta" that each of the other new cardinals were given.

Delly was mentioned by name in an introductory address to the pontiff by the highest-ranking new cardinal, Leonardo Sandri, who said he was carrying out his service "among tears and blood and the painful exodus of so many Christians from the land left by Abraham, our common father in faith and hope."

Cardinal Delly is the ultimate example of humbleness, faith and love of his country. It was evinced by him receiving the loudest applauds when he walked to received his biretta from the Pope. Thanks to the many Iraqis who traveled to Rome to attend the ceremony:

Among the thousands of pilgrims crammed inside the basilica were hundreds of Chaldean Catholics from Iraq, Syria, Jordan, the United States and Europe. Pilgrims who did not get inside the standing-room-only ceremony in the basilica watched in St. Peter's Square. One large group waved two immense Iraqi flags, devoid of Arabic script, cheering and ululating loudly when the pope announced their patriarch's name.
[...]
He [Cardinal Delly] said Sunni and Shiite Muslims, Kurds, Christians and other religious and ethnic representatives were in attendance to pay witness to the Iraqi government's desire "that we are still in a united Iraq and that I will continue to serve (my country) with all my strength to the last drop of my blood."

Congratulations to Iraq and Iraqis. Let's hope this elevation brings us closer to each other.

Amazing Grace, The Movie

This morning, I decided to stay home and watch the movie "Amazing Grace" on DVD. I couldn't have chosen a more inspiring movie to start my day.

I always liked the hymn "Amazing Grace". But, I never knew the story behind the popular hymn:

Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils and snare,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be for ever mine.

Lyrics by John Newton

The movie focuses on the efforts of William Wilberforce to abolish the slavery trade in the British Empire during the slavery era.

William was part of a small group of courageous men and women who were vocal in their efforts to end the slavery trade. As you can imagine, nothing comes easy when trying to bring social change and justice.

I won't reveal the details in my review. I hope you watch the movie to understand that justice and change comes slowly even in the 21st century.

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Amazing Grace

Togetherness

Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you. Whatever we were to each other that we still are. Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way you always used. Put no difference into your tone, wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as you always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.

Let my name be the household name it always was. Let it be spoken without the shadow of a ghost in it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. What is death but a negligible accident. Why should I be out of your mind because I am out of your sight. All is well, nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

Source: Companions of St. Anthony

We Remember Them

In the rising of the sun,
and its going down,
we remember them.

In the blowing of the wind
and in the chill of the winter,
we remember them.

In the blueness of the sky
and in the warmth of the summer,
we remember them.

In the beginning
of the year and
when it ends,
we remember them.

When we are lost
and sick at heart,
we remember them.

So long as we live,
they too shall live,
for they are now
part of us, so
we remember them.

Source: Companions of St. Anthony

The Kidnapping of Two Syriac Catholic Priests In Mosul

On Oct. 13th, Fr. Pius and Fr. Mazin were kidnapped on their way to church in Mosul. AsiaNews reports:

The two priests were on their way to say mass in the parish of Our Lady of Fatima in al-Faisaliya district, when they were taken. AsiaNews sources in Mosul say that until now there has been no claim of responsibility and recall that already their bishop Msgr. Basile George Casmoussa was kidnapped two years ago and later released.

Fr. Pius Affas, around 60 years old, was a fellow seminarian of Msgr. Casmoussa and a Bible studies professor at the seminary. He had been the director of the Arab language magazine “Christian thought” in the past. Fr. Mazen Ishoa is 35, and was newly ordained just a few months ago. He entered the seminary following his degree and on completion of military service.

As usual, the Iraqi government is silent. It doesn't intend to rescue the priests. However, we've learned not to expect such good gestures from the Iraqi government.

The Pope pleaded for their safe release in his Sunday homily. Dear Pope, it's about money and terrorizing the small Iraqi Christian community. That's the kidnappers' goal. No more; no less.

---

UPDATE - Oct 21, 2007
Some good news for this Sunday. Fr. Pius and Fr. Mazin are back to their parishes. They were released by their kidnappers on Sunday. I'm guessing a big ransom was paid to the kidnappers. Such is the state of law and order in Iraq these days.

The Iraqi government didn't say a word about the kidnapping. Who cares about two kidnapped priests? That's not the government's problem. The government is busy with it's Shia/Sunni/Kurdish agenda. NOW, that's their problem.

Canticle of The Creatures

All praise be yours, My Lord,
through all that you have made.
And first my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day....

How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright and precious and fair.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air....

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious and pure.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten up the night....

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us...and produces various fruits
With colored flowers and herbs....

Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.

Source: St. Francis of Assisi: Early Writings and Biographies.

Books From Baghdad

© Mark M. Hancock

*** Scroll down for updates ***

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ORIGINAL POST: Nov. 22, 2006
A few days ago, I received an unexpected package from Iraq. Fr. Yousif Thomas sent me four books published recently by the Chaldean Church in Iraq.

Last week, I was thinking how much I miss reading books in Arabic. Then came those books. Christmas has arrived earlier this year :-)

Thank you to Fr. Yousif and the Iraqi Chaldean Church for keeping the good work under the worst conditions. May God bless you all.

---

UPDATE I: Oct. 2, 2007
Fr. Yousif has made arrangments with "Les editions du Cerf”, a French Dominican brothers publishing house, to sell the Arabic books on their website.

Click here to access the Arabic books main page on their website. You can purchase with checks or credit cards.

The Iraqi Christians of Falluja

My fellow Iraqi blogger Dr. Najeeb Hanoudi recently wrote an article about his Iraqi Christian friends from Falluja. Did you raise an eyebrow? I bet you did since most non-Iraqis are clueless about the fabric of the Iraqi society.

Dr. Hanoudi mentioned in his article that there were three Iraqi Christian families who lived in Falluja before 2004. One family were his friends, the Tomas family. My dear Dr. Hanoudi is unaware I'm related to one of the other two Iraqi Christian families who lived in Falluja for many years.

My first cousin and her family lived in Falluja since the 80s. My cousin's husband, an eye specialist, was a doctor at Falluja's hospital. He also had his own private clinic, which was well known in the city. Like the Tomas family, he was very well respected by the locals.

My cousin and her family fled Falluja in 2004 when all hell broke in the city. They finally moved to Australia two years ago. Like many doctors who immigrate to Australia, he needs to pass many exams and requirements before he can practice his profession. He's in his late 50s. He should be ready to retire and enjoy life with his wife. As it is, he has to rebuild his life from scratch.

The biggest losers of the war in Iraq are the most educated Iraqis.

The Luxury Life of Fr. Michael Jude Fay

*** Scroll down for updates ***

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ORIGINAL POST: July 29, 2006
As many other priests work hard at their parishes, there are some who stain the title of a "priest" with their bad behavior. Sadly, the latter are the ones who make the news. The latest is Fr. Michael Jude Fay from Connecticut. The Associated Press reports:

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. Jul 28, 2006 (AP)- A priest who resigned from a church in an affluent Connecticut community misspent up to $1.4 million in parishioner donations to lead a life of luxury with another man, according to a church-directed investigation.

The Rev. Michael Jude Fay spent church money on limousines, stays at top hotels, jewelry, Italian clothing and a Florida condominium shared with the other man, auditors hired by the diocese found. About half the money he spent was kept in a secret bank account, according to their report, which was mailed Friday to 1,700 parishioners of the Darien church and obtained in advance by The Associated Press.
[...]
The report describes a parish finance council that did not meet regularly in recent years, largely because of Fay's health and absences from the parish. Fay was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 and frequently cited his health when asked about church finances, the report states.

Read more...

He had cancer!!! I'm not surprised with the bad karma. The report lists more spending by Fr. Fay:

Fay shopped at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, drove a Jaguar, attended a sports club, bought jewelry from Cartier, spent $130,000 for limo rides for himself and his mother and stayed at hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, Hotel De Paris and the Four Seasons Hotel, the auditors found. He spent tens of thousands of dollars on home furnishings and meals and more than $20,000 to mark the 25th anniversary of his ordination, according to the report.

None of the priests I know drives a Jaquar. The Jaquar should have made the parishioners question his financial habits.

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UPDATE I - Sept. 14, 2007
Well, it looks like Fr. Michael Jude Fay came to his senses on Wednesday. The New York Times reports:

NEW HAVEN, Sept. 12 — The Rev. Michael Jude Fay, a Roman Catholic priest with a taste for high living, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to federal charges of defrauding his parishioners of nearly $1 million from 1999 to 2006, when he was forced to resign.
[...]
Now living in Florida in an ocean-view condominium he bought using church funds, Father Fay has been formally relieved of his ability to perform priestly duties. He remains a priest, according to Joseph McAleer, a spokesman for the Bridgeport Diocese, but court officials referred to him repeatedly as “Mr. Fay.”.

Surprisingly, Fr. Fay has admirers too. A Dave L. sent me the following e-mail on Aug. 28, 2007:

Yes. What Fr. Jude did was wrong. But did you ever hear what he did right? Did you ever attend one of his sermons and hear him speak? Did you ever feel the Spirit of Christ standing at the pulpit and speaking to the congregation? While it is correct to point out the wrongs of others - especially egregious wrongs - remember: everyone has "rights" that stand sometimes anonymously on their own.

Sure, even Hollywood script writers can write homilies that make you feel the Spirit of Christ. Parishioners expect more than words from their pastors. They expect good actions to follow in their daily lives.

Don't ever put all priests in one basket. There's a major difference between the luxury life of Fr. Fay and the sacrifices of priests like the late Fr. Ragheed Ganni.

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UPDATE II: August 24, 2009
The Darian Timesreports the death of Fr. Fay:

The Rev. Michael Jude Fay, the longtime pastor who stole more than $1 million from Darien's oldest Catholic parish, died Saturday in a Butner, N.C., federal prison.

Father Fay, 58, was suffering from prostate cancer. He was 10 months into a 37-month sentence for the theft.

The Diocese of Bridgeport confirmed the death with The Darien Times, which was first to report the news Saturday. No other details were released by the diocese.

The West Bank Oktoberfest

Source: BBC News

Taybeh beer comes in a variety of different guises, from Dark to Gold, with a green-labelled non-alcoholic version in development.


The media is blamed for mostly reporting the bad news. So, when the media reports pleasant news for a change, especially from the Middle East, I have to give them credit. The BBC News reports:

Probably one of the things one least expects to come across on a visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank is a high-spirited beer festival in full swing.

But that is exactly what visitors to the small Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh were treated to at the weekend.
[...]
One of the curiosities of the original Bavarian version is that it starts in September - something to do with timing of the brewing process.

This year, Taybeh's Oktoberfest also took place in September - although Mr Khoury [The brewey's owner] says he brought it forward out of respect for his Muslim neighbours, who begin their holy month of Ramadan this week.

I don't drink much beer. But, this festival sounds like fun.

When we lived in Dallas, we never missed The Grapefest. The pictures from the West Bank Oktoberfest reminded me of the good old days in Dallas when we attended the wine festival. Those were irreplaceable days and I miss them.

Spelling To Get Into Heaven

A woman arrived at the Gates of Heaven. While she was waiting for Saint Peter to greet her, she peeked through the gates.

She saw a beautiful banquet table Sitting all around were her parents and all the other people she had loved and who had died before her. They saw her and began calling greetings to her "Hello, how are you? We've been waiting for you! Good to see you."

When Saint Peter came by, the woman said to him, "This is such a wonderful place! How do I get in?" "You have to spell a word," Saint Peter told her.

"Which word?" the woman asked.

"Love."

The woman correctly spelled "Love" and Saint Peter welcomed her into Heaven.

About a year later, Saint Peter came to the woman and asked her to watch the Gates of Heaven for him that day.

While the woman was guarding the Gates of Heaven, her husband arrived. "I'm surprised to see you," the woman said. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been doing pretty well since you died," her husband told her. "I married the beautiful young nurse who took care of you while you were ill. And then I won the multi-state lottery. I sold the little house you and I lived in and bought a huge mansion. And my wife and I traveled all around the world. We were on vacation in Cancun and I went water skiing today. I fell and hit my head, and here I am. What a bummer! How do I get in?"

"You have to spell a word," the woman told him.

"Which word?" her husband asked.

" Czechoslovakia ."

Moral of the story:
Never make a woman angry... There will be Hell to pay later!

Written by Unknown Author

Prayer To Saint Joseph

God our father and Creator,

You bestow on us gifts and talents to develop and use in accord with Your will.

Grant to me, through the intercession of St. Joseph the worker, as model and guide, employment and work, that I may, with dignity, provide for those who depend on me for care and support.

Grant me the opportunities to use my energy and my talents and abilities for the good of all, and the glory of Your name.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Daily Prayers by Priests of the Sacred Heart

The Catholic Eco-Confession

Source: EDP24


I hadn't been to confession in a long time. I'm not sure why. Probably because I keep repeating the same faults over and over again. So, reading about the eco-confession caught my attention. The U.K. EDP24 reports:

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned… I have not recycled my tin cans and I have booked a holiday to Australia.

It may not be a typical confession, but it is exactly what you will hear next weekend when people line up to admit their green sins. The eco-confessions will be a new attraction at the Waveney Greenpeace fair, which will be attended by thousands of people.

And on hand will be none other than a Catholic priest, Fr Anthony Sutch, to hear confessions...

Fr Anthony joked: “I don't know what the bishop will say!”

When I lived in Australia, my neighbors and I took the recycling of cans, bottles and paper very seriously. Neither Dallas nor Beaumont are big on recycling. I feel guilty because I drink many bottles of water and Diet Coke. I hope my next neighborhood or city of residence is an eco-friendly place.

A Prayer For Healing and Hope

Almighty God, we give You thanks,
for You are the Creator
of all life and goodness.

We praise You for the world
You have made for us
to build up and enjoy.

Loving God, help us to be
faithful heralds of Healing and Hope.

Grant us the awareness of the healing
needs of those around us
and the compassion to respond
willingly to those needs.

We ask this through Christ,
our Healer and Source of all Hope.

Amen.

Source: Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

The Little Girl and The Wrinkles

A little girl is sitting on her grandpa's lap and studying the wrinkles on his old face. She gets up the nerve to rub her fingers over the wrinkles. Then she touches her own face and looks more puzzled.

Finally the little girl asks, "Grandpa, did God make you?"

"He sure did honey, a long time ago," replies her grandpa.

"Well, did God make me?" asks the little girl.

"Yes, He did, and that wasn't too long ago," answers her grandpa.

"Boy," says the little girl, "He's sure doing a lot better job these days, isn't He?"

Source: Comedy Central

The Pope And The Iraqi Soccer Team

This week, the Iraqis partied, danced and laughed joyfully after their team won The Asian Soccer Cup. This rejoice caught the Pope's attention. AsiaNews reports:

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “Just as so many times I have cried with the Iraqi people, on this occasion I rejoiced with them”: the Iraqi football team’s victory in the Asian Cup was unusually evoked today by Benedict XVI before he turned his attention once again to expressing his closeness to the war wracked nation. The Pope’s congratulations for a football event came at the end of his general audience, when Benedict XVI spoke of “the popular explosion of joy” across the country “in the face of this historic success for Iraq, for the first time football champions of Asia”. It was an “enthusiasm that spilled over onto Iraq's streets”, and “This experience of joyful sharing reveals the desire of a people to have a normal and serene life”. “It is my hope that this event, with everyone's support, may contribute to a future in Iraq of real peace in liberty and mutual respect. Congratulations!”

It feels good to know the Pope thinks of the Iraqi people, their suffering and moments of joy. It also helps that the German people are into soccer :-)

Saving Issa's Life

Issa before and after the start of his chemo treatment.


Ankawa Online brought the ordeal of Issa Adil to my attention, a 16-month-old Iraqi Christian baby from Al-Dora district in Baghdad.

As if life isn't hard enough for an Iraqi Christian living in Al-Dora, Issa's family must deal with young Issa being diagnosed with cancer.

I'm simply tired. Before publishing Issa's story, I told myself it's selfish to write about one sick baby when other millions are suffering too. But, the Star Thrower story reminds me that we need to at least try to help.

Click on the medical reports below to assess Issa's medical condition. Your help and suggestions are welcome. A prayer would help too.

Medical report - Section 1

Medical report - Section 2

Medical report - Section 3

Medical report - Section 4

Medical report - Section 5

Medical report - Section 6

Medical report - Section 7

Medical report - Section 8

Medical report - Section 9

Medical report - Section 10

Medical report - Section 11

The family is doing well financially. The issue is with his chemo treatment in Baghdad, where it's hard to travel to the hospital and the unavailability of the chemo shots at times. He'd be in a much better shape if an overseas hospital is willing to treat him before it's too late.

Priceless Pictures of The Iraqi Christians' History

Thank you so much to Iraqi Mojo, who shared these pictures with us. The complete collection can be found on Mideast Image Web site.

Read the cutlines to understand the diversity of the Iraqi Christian community. I now understand the meaning of the word "Priceless." These pictures are definitely priceless.



Source: Mideast Image

Photograph of the Celebration of the Christian Catholic feast of Corpus Christi in Baghdad in the 1920's. The Patriarch, Bishops, and Priests of the Chaldeans (the most numerous of Iraq's Catholics), the Syrian (Syriac) Catholic and Armenian Catholic Bishops are seen with their priests, deacons and students marching through the streets of Baghdad close to the old Christian Quarter of Aqd al-Nasara.



Source: Mideast Image

Post-card of celebration at the Syriac Orthodox Monastery in the Iraqi northern city of Mosul. The Syriac Christians ,known locally as Syriaan , belong to the Monophysite branch of Christianity,as do the Armenians and the Copts of Egypt ant Ethiopia.Their liturgy is Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, and their Patriarch resides now in Damascus. The seat of the Patriarch was at the Yellow, or Safron Monastery , known as Qasr al Za'faran,located few miles east of the ancient city of Madin,now in south-east Turkey and few miles north of the Syrian border.After centuries the Patriarch was forced to leave in the 1920's.Some Syriacs have acknowledged the Pope in Rome and became known as the Uniate [in union with Rome ]or Syrian Catholics.



Source: Mideast Image

Photograph, ca. 1905 of young students attending a school run by a Protestant mission, in the northern city of Mosul, in Iraq,during the Ottoman period. "There are few parts of the world so baffling to the ethnographic map-makers as the district which was once known as the Vilayet of Mosul.Not only do there dwell within its limits multitudinous sects,as little known, in many cases, as they are ancient; it is rare to find, as one ranges the great Mosul plain,two consecutive villages peopled by the same race ,speaking the same tongue,worshiping the same god ". Mosul and its minorities,Harry C. Luke,1924.



Source: Mideast Image

Some Armenian women and children who had escaped from the general massacre of their compatriots, took refuge in the British lines. The official efforts were admirably backed up by the local Armenian community, headed by Mr. M.H. Kouymdjian of Baghdad, and Mr. Dervichyan, O.B.E. ,Honorary Belgian Consul at Basra ". SIR ARNOLD WILSON, MESOPOTAMIA, A CLASH OF LOYALTIES 1917.



Source: Mideast Image

Baghdad's Jesuits House of Wisdom in the 1950.



Source: Mideast Image

Photograph by Bezaz Photo of the Latin Church in Baghdad. " The Catholic Church, the Latin Rite,better known as the Latin Chapel, was built in 1866 to replace a smaller one which has existed from 1721. It is a massive building with a large dome which can be seen from the roofs in any quarter of the city. The bell of the church rings daily at noon and at sunset. Permission to do this was granted about fifty years ago, previous to which time Christians were not allowed to employ bells." BAGHDAD THE CITY OF THE CALIPHS, Y.M.C.A 1918

A Piece of Cake

Sometimes we ask ourselves: What did I do to deserve this?
Why does God let these things happen to me?
Here is the explanation…

A daughter tells her mother how everything is going wrong for her. She probably failed her Math exam or her boyfriend just dumped her for her best friend.

In times so sad, a good mother knows just the thing to cheer up her daughter. ’I’ll make a delicious cake.’ In that moment the mother hugged her daughter and walked her to the kitchen, while her daughter attempts to smile.

While the mother prepared the utensils and ingredients, her daughter sat across from her at the counter. Her mother asks, ‘sweetheart, would you like a piece of cake?’

Her daughter replies, ‘sure, mom, you know I love cakes.’

‘alright’ the mother said, ‘drink some of this cooking oil.’

Shocked, the daughter responded, ‘what?!? No way!!’

‘How about a couple of raw eggs?’ To this the daughter responded, ‘Are you kidding?’

‘How about a little flour?’

‘No, mom. I’ll be sick!’

The mother responded, ‘All of these things are uncooked and taste bad. But if you put them together, they make a delicious cake!’

God works in the same way. When we ask ourselves why does he make us go through these difficult times, we don’t realize what or where these events may bring us. Only He knows and he will not let us fail. We don’t need to settle for the raw ingredients, trust in Him and see something fantastic come about!!

God loves us so much He sends us flowers every spring.

He makes the sun rise every morning.

And anything you need to talk, he is there to listen!

He can live anywhere in the universe. But He chooses to live in your heart.

Happy Moments
Praise God.

Difficult Moments
Seek God.

Quiet Moments
Worship God.

Painful Moments
Trust God.

Every Moment
Thank God.

-- Unknown Author

Thank You Pope Benedict XVI

I always liked The Pope. But my respect and admiration to him has increased lately. Why? Because The Pope is not afraid to speak his mind when it comes to the plight of the Iraqi Christians. Since he has gone public with his concerns, the mainstream media -- for a change -- started to pay attention to this subject.

Yesterday, The Pope met with the patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East to discuss the current situation of the Iraqi Christians. Here's some of the Pope's concerns as reported by the media:

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday he was greatly concerned about the fate of Christians in Iraq, returning to a theme he discussed with President Bush earlier this month.

The pope also denounced the slaying of a Catholic priest in Iraq as a "barbaric killing," and lamented the overall escalating violence in the Middle East for the second time in a week.

"Particularly in Iraq, the homeland of so many of the Assyrian faithful, Christian families and communities are feeling increasing pressure from insecurity, aggression and a sense of abandonment," Benedict said during an audience with the patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East.
[...]
"Many of them see no other possibility than to leave the country and to seek a new future abroad," the pontiff said. "These difficulties are a source of great concern to me, and I wish to express my solidarity with the pastors and the faithful of the Christian communities who remain there, often at the price of heroic sacrifices."

The Pope extends his concerns to the plight of all Christians in the Middle East:

Speaking of the Middle East on Thursday, Benedict expressed "pain and concern over the delicate situation" in the region, and said the Holy Land, Iraq and Lebanon were very much present in the church's prayers and action.

"The long-sought and long-awaited peace unfortunately is still largely offended," by violence, the pontiff said. Violence "often degenerates into war, whether or not declared, and ends up becoming a pressing international problem, as is today," he said.

"I knock on the heart of those who have specific responsibilities to ask that they adhere to the important duty of guaranteeing peace to everybody indistinctly, setting it free from the fatal disease of religious, cultural, historic or geographic discrimination."

In a pilgrimage Sunday in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, Benedict made one of his strongest appeals for an end to the "horrors" of fighting and terrorism in Iraq and the Middle East, and decried "the illusion" that force could resolve conflicts.

Thank you Pope Benedict for your concerns. It means so much for me and the other Iraqi and Middle Eastern Christians.

The Vatican's "Ten Commandments" For Drivers

Today, The Vatican issued a "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road" document. In case you missed it, here's the list:

1. You shall not kill.

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.

4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.

5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.

7. Support the families of accident victims.

8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.

9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.

10. Feel responsible toward others.

Sounds good to me :-)

The Kidnapping of Fr. Hani Abdel Ahad

For the last week, I've been busy covering the details of Fr. Ragheed Ghanni's murder in Mosul, Iraq. Three days later, Fr. Hani Abdel Ahad was kidnapped in Baghdad. AsiaNews reports:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – Another Chaldean priest was abducted in Baghdad today. Fr Hani Abdel Ahad, in his early 30s, was taken in a north-eastern section of the capital called Suleikh along with five boys who were going with him to visit the city’s minor seminar.

The incident has plunged the Christian community in a state of gloom. Some faithful have reacted to terrible news saying that they have “the impression that they are all alone, like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he felt abandoned by the Father.”

A day later, four of the kidnapped boys were released. AsiaNews reports:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – Four of five Christian boys abducted yesterday with Chaldean priest Fr Hani Abdel Ahad were released today in good physical conditions. Sources told AsiaNews that the 33-year-old priest and the fifth boy are still in the hands of the kidnappers. All six were on their way to the minor seminar in Suleikh, in one of the capital’s north-eastern neighbourhoods.

It appears that the kidnappers are common criminals interested in money. Immediately after they took the priest and the five boys they sent a ransom note to Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly.

I'll keep you updated with the latest developments. Please, pray for the safe return of Fr. Hani and the fifth kidnapped boy.

---

UPDATE I - June 17, 2007
Ankawa Online reports the release of Fr. Hani Abdel Ahad. Thanks God for his safe return.

Happy Father's Day to all the hardworking priests around the world.

The Murder of Fr. Ragheed and Three Deacons

Fr Ragheed Ganni
Source:www.ankawa.com

Another day, another act of cowardliness against an Iraqi priest and three deacons. AsiaNews reports:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – An armed group gunned down and killed Fr Ragheed Ganni and three of his aides. The murder took place right after Sunday mass in front of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mosul where Father Ragheed was parish priest. Sources told AsiaNews that hours later the bodies were still lying in the street because no one dared retrieve them. Given the situation tensions in the area remain high.
[...]
Father Ragheed himself had been targeted several times in previous attacks. The Church of the Holy Spirit has also been repeatedly attacked and bombed in the last few years, the last time occurred but a few months ago.

Father Ganni was a great friend of AsiaNews. He had studied in Italy and was fluent in Arabic as well as Italian, French and English. In 2005 he had visited Italy where he gave testimony during the Vigil to Eucharistic Congress in Bari.

Fr. Ragheed was born in Mosul in 1972. In 1993, He received his Civil Engineering degree from University of Mosul. He studied in Rome from 1996 to 2003 where he received a master degree in Theology.

My condolences to his and the three murdered deacons' families, friends and parishioners. May God gives them strength during these difficult times.

Read Fr. Ragheed Ganni's "Message of Easter" to know more about this remarkable priest.

Read Fr. Rageed's action to turn gunshots to fireworks during the first communion of 80 Iraqi Christian children last August. They may have killed his body; but his beautiful soul will always shine above his parishioners.

---

UPDATE Jun. 4, 2007 - UPDATE I


Source: www.ankawa.com

The arrival of Fr. Ragheed's coffin to Keremlish for his final journey. Fr. Ragheed and the three murdered deacons will be buried in Keremlish on Monday Jun. 4, 2007.

---

UPDATE Jun. 4, 2007 - UPDATE II
The Irish clergymen reaction to Fr. Ragheed's murder:

Rome, 4 June (AKI) - An Iraqi Catholic priest Ragheed Ganni, gunned down in Mosul after saying mass on Sunday, is remembered at the Irish College in Rome, where he trained for the priesthood.”as an exceptionally outgoing person, the sort of person that if you meet once you remember.”. “Even when he had just arrived and couldn't speak English or Italian he still managed to communicate with people here at the college” the rector Liam Bergin told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a phone interview. Rasheed Ganni, 31, was shot dead along with three deacons in their car, shortly after he had said mass on Sunday.

Phone calls and emails of condolence have been flooding in from those who knew the 35 year old priest. “This tragic violence has created ripples far afield. Even the Irish president who was in Rome at Sunday's canonisation had met Ragheed in Ireland and remembered him” Bergin told AKI.

During his seminary studies Ganni couldn't return to Iraq during the holidays so he often spent that time in Ireland. For that connection but also for his extrovert nature he was nicknamed “Paddy the Iraqi”. He had recently been given permission by his bishop to come to Rome to study for a doctorate in ecumenism.

It's been more than 24-hours and not ONE WORD from the American mainstream media.

---

UPDATE Jun. 4, 2007 - UPDATE III
AsiaNews published a beautiful tribute to Fr. Ragheed:

He died yesterday, massacred by blind violence. Killed on his way home from Church, where his people, despite their decreasing numbers, bowed by fear and desperation, continued to come: “the young people – Ragheed told us just days ago – organized surveillance after the recent attacks against the parish, the kidnappings, the threats to religious; priests celebrate mass amidst the bombed out ruins; mothers worry as they see their children challenge danger to attend catechism with enthusiasm; the elderly come to entrust their fleeing families to God’s protection, they alone remain in their country where they have their roots and built their homes, refusing to flee. Exile for them is unimaginable”. Ragheed was one of them, a strong father figure who wanted to protect his children: “It is our duty not to give in to despair: God will listen to our prayers for peace in Iraq”:
[...]
Dearest Ragheed, with a heart which cries in pain, you leave us your hope and your certainty. By taking you they aimed to wipe out the hope of Iraq’s Christians. Instead your martyrdom nourishes and gives new life to your community, to the Iraqi Church and the Church throughout the world. Thank you, grazie Ragheed.

Read more...

I'm trying to make sense of his death. But, I'm lost in this darkness.

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UPDATE Jun. 4, 2007 - UPDATE IV
Ankawa.com published pictures from the funeral of Fr. Ragheed and deacons Basman, Ghazwan and Waheed. They're heartbreaking.


Source: Ankawa.com

Thousands of people attended the funeral of Fr. Ragheed and the three deacons.


Source: Ankawa.com

Cries and tears during the funeral of Fr. Ragheed.


Source: Ankawa.com

Two nuns and a layman carry the pictures of the three deacons who were murdered with Fr. Ragheed.


R.I.P Fr. Ragheed,
R.I.P. deacon Basman,
R.I.P. deacon Ghazwan,
R.I.P. deacon Waheed.

---

UPDATE Jun. 6, 2007 - UPDATE V


Source: Middle East Online

Fr. Ragheed took this picture during his visit to Rome last November. The picture was taken at the Terrorism Victims Square in Rome. Fr. Ragheed told his friend who took the picture [Source: Middle East Online]:

Take my picture please. We are the victims of terrorism. I appeal to civil and church authorties to intervene and act seriously to save Christians left in Iraq, who are daily victims of terrorism.

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UPDATE Jun. 8, 2007 - UPDATE VI
Zenit Catholic News Agency translated a letter from a Muslim friend of Fr. Ragheed. I thought to share with you too:


Source: Ankawa Online

Fr. Ragheed Ganni's body during his funeral in Keremlish, Iraq.

In the name of the compassionate and merciful God,

Ragheed, my brother,

I ask your forgiveness for not being with you when those criminals opened fire against you and your brothers. The bullets that have gone through your pure and innocent body have also gone through my heart and soul.

You were one of the first people I met when I arrived to Rome. We met in the halls of the Angelicum and we would drink our cappuccino in the university's cafeteria. You impressed me with your innocence, joy, your pure and tender smile that never left you.

I always picture you smiling, joyful and full of zest for life. Ragheed is to me innocence personified; a wise innocence that carries in its heart the sorrows of his unhappy people. I remember the time, in the university's dining room, when Iraq was under embargo and you told me that the price of a single cappuccino would have satisfied the needs of an Iraqi family for a whole day.

You told me this as if you were feeling guilty for being far away from your persecuted people and unable to share in their sufferings …

In fact, you returned to Iraq, not only to share the suffering and destiny of your people but also to join your blood to the blood of thousands of Iraqis killed each day. I will never forget the day of your ordination [Oct. 13, 2001] in the [Pontifical] Urbanian University … with tears in your eyes, you told me: "Today, I have died to self" … a hard thing to say.

I didn't understand it right away, or maybe I didn't take it as seriously as I should have. … But today, through your martyrdom, I have understood that phrase. … You have died in your soul and body to be raised up in your beloved, in your teacher, and so that Christ would be raised up in you, despite the sufferings, sorrows, despite the chaos and madness.

In the name of what god of death have they killed you? In the name of which paganism have they crucified you? Did they truly know what they were doing?

O God, we don't ask you for revenge or retaliation. We ask you for victory, a victory of justice over falsehood, life over death, innocence over treachery, blood over the sword. … Your blood will not have been shed in vain, dear Ragheed, because with it you have blessed the soil of your country. And from heaven, your tender smile will continue to light the darkness of our nights and announce to us a better tomorrow.

I ask your forgiveness, brother, for when the living get together they think they have all the time in the world to talk, visit, and share feelings and thoughts. You had invited me to Iraq … I dreamed of that visit, of visiting your house, your parents, your office. … It never occurred to me that it would be your tomb that one day I would visit or that it would be verses from my Quran that I would recite for the repose of your soul …

One day, before your first trip to Iraq after a prolonged absence, I went with you to buy souvenirs and presents for your family. You spoke with me of your future work: "I would like to preside over the people on the base of charity before justice" -- you said.

It was difficult for me to imagine you a "canonical judge" … And today your blood and your martyrdom have spoken for you, a verdict of fidelity and patience, of hope against all suffering, of survival, in spite of death, in spite of everything.

Brother, your blood hasn't been shed in vain, and your church's altar wasn't a masquerade. … You assumed your role with deep seriousness until the end, with a smile that would never be extinguished … ever.

Your loving brother,

Adnam Mokrani
Rome, June 4, 2007
Professor of Islamic Studies in the Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture,
Pontifical Gregorian University

Clericus Cup tournament At The Vatican

Alessandra Tarantino/AP

Redemptoris Mater football team players, wearing yellow and blue, challenge for the ball with Pontificia Universita' Lateranense players during the final of Clericus Cup tournament, at the St.Peter's parish recreation sports center in Rome.


I'm a big fan of soccer. Seeing future clergymen playing it made me wish I attended the tournament. The students acted like normal players would act during the bad and good moments of a soccer game. The Guardian reports:

It was an event you might have hoped would inject a bit of spirituality back into the beautiful game, a football tournament for priests and seminarians played out in the shadow of St Peter's Basilica.

But passions run high, even under a dog collar, and when the referee whistled for a penalty in the second half of the Clericus cup final, tempers boiled over. Students from the Pontifical Lateran University squared up angrily to the hapless official, insisting that the Costa Rican striker for Redemptoris Mater college had dived in the box, and while the language was not as purple as it can be in the premiership, words were had.
[...]
The incident prompted a flurry of blue cards, invented for the tournament and used to dispatch players to a temporary "sin bin".

I'm actually glad the players acted normally. It's not the end of the world. Let them be themselves for a day. What's the big deal about it?

The Kidnapping of Fr. Nawzat P. Hanna

Another Chaldean priest was kidnapped in Baghdad yesterday. AsiaNews confirmed the news on its Web site:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – Yet another Chaldean priest was kidnapped this morning in Baghdad. He is Fr. Nawzat P. Hanna, parish priest of Mar Pithion, from the Baladiyat quarter. Confirmation of the abduction reached AsiaNews, via Msgr. Shlemon Warduni, Chaldean auxiliary bishop in the capital, who has invited Catholics to “pray for Fr. Nawzat’s immediate release”. The abductors have already made contact with the Chaldean Patriarchate, but as of yet there is no further news.

The priest was leaving the house of an ill parishioner, when he was stopped by a group of persons who had been waiting for him, says the bishop. Msgr. Warduni is convinced that a motive for ransom is behind the abduction, but among Baghdad’s faithful the rumour has spread that this morning’s sequester is in response to the Patriarch and bishops recent denouncements of persecution against the Christian community there. “By kidnapping another priest – anonymous sources tell AsiaNews – the terrorists kill two birds with one stone: they get rich and at the same time force the Patriarch to transfer him abroad, thus giving the whole community a very strong message”.

The forced exodus of Iraqi Christians from their homes, which started in Al-Dora distirct, has spread to other suburbs of Baghdad. A few days ago, a militant group burned St. Goerge Assyrian Church in Al-Dora district.

With all these rapid developments, we haven't heard a word from the Iraqi President or his Prime Minister. All is quiet at the Green Zone. It tells you how much those people are disconnected from reality on the ground.

---

UPDATE May 23, 2007
Thank you Mister Ghost for sending me the following good news:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) –Chaledean priest Nawzat P. Hanna freed yesterday evening in Baghdad after three days of captivity carries the signs of having been beaten. Msgr Shlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of the capital’s Chaldean Catholic Church himself went to fetch the priest “in a certain part of the city” as he told AsiaNews today. His release took place at around 9.30 in the evening. “When he saw me – tells the prelate – Fr. Nawzat strongly embraced me, he was in tears and he was deeply tried; he then thanked all of those who had prayed for him in these days, The Virgin and the saint of his parish, Mar Pithion”.

I'm guessing he'll be transferred to Northern Iraq or asked to leave the country. Let's hope he recovers from this bad experience.

Is Your Christianity Better Than Mine?

I lived the first 28 years of my life in Iraq, then another six years in Australia. I never needed to pause and think about my religious affiliation. I was definitely a Christian. Period.

When I moved to the United States, I never knew I shouldn't call myself a Christian. I was told that I'm not a Christian. Instead, I'm a Catholic. Then, I realized that each American Christian domination calls itself a different name. There are Catholics, Baptists, Southern Baptists, Episcopalians, Mormons, etc... The list is very long. It gets even worse when some people try to preach Catholicism to me because I was born in the Middle East. In their opinion, it means I'm not Catholic enough.

This is so wrong. It's even more wrong when it's used in politics. Here's the latest:

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Leaders for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Rev. Al Sharpton are planning an in-person meeting, a church spokesman said.

Sharpton asked for the meeting during a telephone apology he gave to two church elders last week after he said during a debate that Mormons don't believe in God.
[...]

The Pentecostal minister and former Democratic presidential candidate's remarks were about Mitt Romney, a Mormon who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Sharpton said that "as for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyway, so don't worry about that, that's a temporary situation."

Sharpton says the remark was distorted for political purposes and has apologized to "regular Mormons" for the slight. He later told a web site editors that he "wasn't saying that Mormons didn't believe in God, I was saying that we weren't going to have to rely on atheists" to defeat Romney.

My late father-in-law was a Mormon. So, I find Sharpton's remarks very wrong. I met Mormons during the last six years and none of them strikes me as "Godless person."

What's Sharpton's definition of a good Mormon? And what makes him think that Romney isn't a good Mormon? Sharpton isn't a Mormon. How can he decide who is or isn't a good Mormon?

Then, what does Sharpton mean by "we weren't going to have to rely on atheists."? Does that mean all Democrats are atheists? If no, then does that mean Barak Obama - my favorite candidate for the 2008 presidency - is a better candidate than the other Democrat candidates just because he's not afraid to talk about his faith during his campaign? I don't think so.

It's time to clear the clouded religious air in America. At times, it goes overboard for no good reason.

Chaldean Bishops Appeal To The Iraqi Politicians

Fay's NOTE: News from Iraq wasn't pleasant during the last two weeks. So, I took a week-long break from the news. I'm back with better energy.

In these last four years our Iraqi people have suffered and continue to suffer from threats, kidnappings, forced exile, attacks and killings which have provoked thousands of innocent victims and the total destruction of the Iraqi institutions and national infrastructure. All of this is a folly of human reason.

This is why we are urgently asking the entire international community, the participants at the Sharm el-Sheikh Conference, the coalition forces and the Iraqi political representatives to intervene without delay to protect innocent Iraqis, their property, their rights and their personal freedom. We also appeal to all of the religious authorities to let their voices be heard in the defence of the salvation of our country and its sons and daughters, so that the wonderful social fabric of our Iraqi society may be kept whole, because its loss would mean the disastrous destruction of an ancient cultural and religious civilisation.

We particularly ask that the threats, kidnappings and forced emigration of our Christians people is stopped and we affirm most strenuously that the Christians are authentic Iraqi people, one of the most ancient parts of the population. Christians have always sought to integrate themselves with their Arab, Kurd, Turk, Shiite, Sunni, Yezidi brothers, within the nations’ social life and have always had a most important role in the building of national historic values, decisively contributing to the destiny of Iraq through their peaceful way of life.

Moreover, we confirm the essential relationship between Christianity and Islam, as monotheistic religions through their teachings they both aim to spread Charity, the Common Good and Peace. God knows of our differences, which exists by his Divine will: “If Your Lord had wanted, he would have created all men as one nation” (Koran, Yonis, 99). We must accept his divine design and respect diversity, which makes of us one garden with different flowers, of which each one glorifies God the creator with his own perfume.

We believe that religion is a catalyst for peace and we are convinced that God reveals himself with great clarity in the practise of Peace, Justice, Mercy, Tolerance, Reconciliation and Forgiveness.

My brothers, enough with violence, threats, attacks and killings! Let us work together hand in hand to bring about Unity, Security and Prosperity in our land, Iraq.

Signed by a group of Chaldean Bishops.

New Troubles In Basra

By Queen Amidala
Basra, Iraq
Apr. 20, 2007

Things are getting worse than before -- apart from what's going on with governor.

First, one of the militias attacked Al Fayhaa Club, our club Fay [Fay note: A very well known Iraqi Christian social club]. They ordered the contractor not to open the club for weddings or any other celebrations.

On the second day of Easter, we had lunch there. I was thrilled to see our club again after almost two years. During lunch, I told my family it's a nice, spacious club with nice air-conditioning. I told them it would be nice to come here during hot summer days to feel the cool air and enjoy a nice lunch once in a while.
As simple as this is, the bloody militias didn't like to see it open.

Second, Unknown militias bombed four hairdresser shops in Basra. We used to go to one of them once a week. Thank God nobody got hurt as the militias bombed them early in the morning. A few days ago, the bombing reached the playstation shops too.

In Baghdad, it's literally hell. The news that they are forcing the Christians to pay jyzia are correct. They're also forcing the Christian women to dress like conservative Muslim women and wear the scarf on their heads. If they don't follow these instruction, they are forced out of their homes and leave their belongings behind [Fay Note: I believe this is specially happening in Al-Dora]. In general, Sunnis are leaving the Shia areas and vise versa.

Our relatives in Baghdad are very frightened of the whole situation. They are trying to leave Iraq but the new passport delimma make it difficult to get passports.

My younger uncle called us two days ago to ask my dad's opinion as to what to do. My uncle is VERY scared of the escalated situation. His daughter goes to college which, makes the situation worse for him in relation to security and finances.

All in all, it's hell. No one imagined this was going to happen to us. We went through a lot during Saddam's ruling and wars. But nothing can be compared to this one.

I'm scared and I can't even think what's going to happen next. I don't want to think about it anyway.

We're all in God's hands.. He is our savior.

Appeal To Save Iraq's Christians

The situation of Iraqi Christians has become so dire that Louis Sako, Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk, has issued an appeal on behalf of the Iraqi Christians:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – “In Iraq Christians are dying, the Church is disappearing under continued persecution, threats and violence carried out by extremists who are leaving us no choice: conversion or exile”. This is the urgent appeal sent to AsiaNews by msgr. Louis Sako, Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk, while reports arrive of car bombs and the death of Christians in the Kurdish area, until now untouched by the confessional violence.

The bishop who is president of Iraq’s Council of Catholic Churches’ Committee for inter religious dialogue , signed a declaration regarding the “tragic situation of Baghdadis Christians”, denouncing militant groups which under the threat of armed violence ask Christians to convert immediately to Islam or to consign their property and leave the country. The same thing happens in Mosul, but with a different “choice”: pay a monetary tribute to the Jihad if they want to avoid their death.

Bishop Sako have these urgent words to the deaf world:

“We can no longer be silent – explains Msgr. Sako by phone to AsiaNews – we have to remind the world of the importance of the Christian presence in Iraq, for the good of Iraq”. “Christians are one of the oldest constituents of the Iraqi people –he explains in his statement– Since the beginning they have incorporated with its other constituents like the Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Sabea, and Yazedis; playing a pioneering role in the building of the civilization of Iraq. In addition they defended their adherence to the soil and integrity of Iraq courageously and together with their Moslems brothers. Everybody witnesses their loyalty, honesty, wisdom and their desire to live in peace and brotherhood with others. Christians have long lived with Moslems whether Sunnis or Shias in mutual respect and shared the good and the bad days together with them. They have been part of the Islamic culture for the last 14 centuries, by large without problems. Today they want to continue this existence in the spirit of love and under the charter of human rights”.

However in the current situation Christians are targeted as chief conspirators to be exploited or eliminated. They cannot openly profess their faith, the veil is imposed on the women and the crosses are taken down from their churches, threats of kidnappings and extortion weigh heavily over all of them. Msgr Sako lists the violence to which they are submitted on a daily basis: “now a days Christians are suffering in certain areas and cities in Iraq from forced evacuation, rape, kidnap, blackmail, scarring and killing. This unfamiliar behaviour contradicts the Iraqi humanitarian and Islamic morals. Let everybody realize that emptying Iraq of Christians will be disastrous not only for the Christians but for all Iraqis!... Forcing Christians to leave their homes indicates deterioration in the concept of conviviality and furthermore it destroys the cultural, civil and religious mosaic of which Iraq is considered to be the very cradle”.

People ask me how I handle the daily sad news coming from Iraq. I pray and write. Continuous blogging about the plight of the Iraqi Christians has become my mission lately. It's the least I can do living thousands of miles away from Iraq.

If you can spare a minute of your time, please say a little prayer to the Iraqi people.

The Limbo Status Is Incorrect

*** Scroll down for updates ***

---

ORIGINAL POST - Dec. 01, 2005
It's always bothered me when people would say children who die unbaptized aren't allowed into Heaven. Jesus himself told us that if we don't become like children, we won't see God's Kingdom. So, how could anyone deny them Heaven?

But here's some good news:

THE Catholic Church is preparing to abandon the idea of limbo, the theological belief that children who die before being baptised are suspended in a space between heaven and hell.
[...]
The idea of limbo was developed as a response to the harshness of early Church teachings which insisted that any child who died before he or she was baptised would still be stained by Original Sin and so would be condemned to hell.
[...]
However, an international commission of Catholic theologians, meeting in the Vatican this week, has been pondering the issue and is expected to advise Pope Benedict XVI to announce officially that the theological concept of limbo is incorrect.

Instead, the new belief is expected to be that unbaptised babies will go directly to heaven.

Pope Benedict had already expressed his doubts about limbo when, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Church's doctrinal watchdog.

In an interview in 1984, he said: "Limbo has never been a defined truth of faith. Personally, speaking as a theologian and not as head of the Congregation, I would drop something that has always been only a theological hypothesis."

Read more...

John Haldane, a professor of philosophy at St Andrews University in Scotland was quoted in the report:

"The idea of limbo conjures up the image of God as some kind of government bureaucrat who says to people, not just babies, 'Sorry, you don't have your passport stamped with baptism, you'll have to wait over there'.

"Instead, God's powers are such that He can overcome the issue of Original Sin as He chooses, according to special circumstances."

If children and babies have no place in Heaven, then none of us do.

---

UPDATE Dec. 2, 2005
In Year of The Family, late Pope John Paul II wrote in his letter to the children:

In Children there is something that must never be missing in people who want to enter the kingdom of heaven. People who are destined to go to heaven are simple like children, and like children are full of trust, rich in goodness and pure. Only people of this sort can find in God a Father and thanks to Jesus, can become in their own turn children of God.

Source: Pope John Paul II: In My Own Words

I guess this sum it all.

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UPDATE Apr. 22, 2007
It's official, the Catholic church has abolished the limbo status:

A Vatican committee that spent years examining the medieval concept published a much-anticipated report Friday, concluding that unbaptized babies who die may go to heaven.
[...]
The Vatican's International Theological Commission issued its findings — with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI — in a document published by the Catholic News Service, the news agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The commission is advisory, but the pope's endorsement of the document appears to indicate his acceptance of its findings.

Limbo, the commission said, "reflects an unduly restrictive view of salvation."

"Our conclusion," the panel said in its 41-page report, is that there are "serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptized infants who die will be saved and brought into eternal happiness." The committee added that although this is not "sure knowledge," it comes in the context of a loving and just God who "wants all human beings to be saved."

Read more...

This conclusion should have been reached hundreds of years ago. Oh well, better late than never.

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In My Own Words

Could It Get Worse For The Iraqi Christians?

A few weeks ago, my friend's cousin was kidnapped in Iraq. Fortunately, he returned safely to his family. But, his safe return came at a price. His kidnappers gave him the choice of either being killed or released on the condition of him converting to Islam. You can guess which option he chose to guarantee his safe return.

My friend told me that since her cousin came back home, he hasn't been himself. He doesn't want to talk about the whole ordeal. He's silent most of the time.

Similar stories were reported lately where Iraqi Christians are being forced to either leave their homes or convert to Islam, especially at Al-Dora district in Baghdad:

Six Christian families from the Mualimien neighborhood of Baghdad’s Dora district have relocated to a church elsewhere in the city, said a Baghdad source who requested that the families’ location and identity remain anonymous.

Armed Sunnis told the families on Saturday (April 14) that an amir (independent Muslim prince or ruler) had issued a fatwa or judgment based on Islamic law against Dora’s Christians, the source said.

“They called the Christians infidels and told them, ‘If you don’t convert to Islam or leave your homes in 24 hours, we will kill you,’” the source told Compass after speaking with a member of the church helping the displaced Christians.

Read more...

many Iraqi families live(d) in Al-Dora including many of my friends and relatives. Most of them have moved to other areas after they received death threats from the armed militias.

If that wasn't enough, the armed militias have come up with a new tactic to drive Iraqi Christians from their homes:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – “Get rid of the cross or we will burn your Churches”. This is the threat aimed at the Chaldean Church of Sts Peter and Paul, located in the ancient Christian quarter of Baghdad, Dora. Local sources say an unknown armed Islamic group is behind the threats which are inseminating terror in the capital. The Arab website Ankawa.com and Aina news agency speak of a campaign of persecution in act in the area. Even Mosul, a Sunni stronghold, the Christian presence is being gravely threatened.

Msgr. Shlemon Warduni, Chaldean auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, tells AsiaNews “in the last 2 months many Churches have been forced to remove their crosses from their domes”. In the case of the Church of St. George, assira, Muslim extremists took the situation into their own hands: they climbed onto the roof and ripped out the cross. In the Chaldean Church of St John, in Dora, which has been without a pastor for months now, the parishioners themselves decided to move the cross to a safer place following repeated threats.

Read more...

This is the real beginning of the end for the Iraqi Christian community that existed for thousands of years. We survived many storms. I'm not sure we can survive this one that seems to be getting worse by the day.

Please, keep the Iraqi Christian community in your prayers.

You Know You Are An Assyrian or Chaldean If...

Written by Unknown Author

Your mother yells at the top of her lungs to call you to dinner even if you're in the next room.

You arrive one or two hours late to a party and think it's normal.

You are standing next to the largest suitcases at the Airport.

You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone's house.

You say bye 17 times on the phone.

Your parents still scream at the top of their lungs when making long distance calls.

Your relatives alone could populate a small city.

You always say "open the light" instead of "turn the light on."

You've had a shoe thrown at you by your mother.

When your parents meet strangers and talk for a few minutes, you discover they know one of your uncles back home.

Your mother does everything for you if you are male.

You do all the housework and cooking if you are female.

You refer to your dad's friends as Amoo [uncle].

You still came back home to live with your parents after you graduate.

You have an endless supply of pistachios, dates, and pumpkin seeds.

You have at least thirty cousins.

Your parents want you to become a doctor or engineer.

You use your forehead and eyebrows to point something out.

Your parents drink 6 cups of tea a day.

You can spot an Arab a mile away and they have spotted you because they keep staring.

After a family meal, the women fight to the death over who should wash the dishes while the men sit on their behinds and discuss politics, waiting for their tea.

At weddings, it takes the bride and groom 4 hours to kiss all the guests.

You brag about your kids even if they are bad.

You gossip about your own family with other members of your family.

One satellite dish on your roof isn't enough. You need at least two of them.

You wear more cologne than deodorant.

You say the letter "H" like "etch"

You put olive oil on EVERYTHING and brag about how healthy it is.

Your favorite food is stuffed grape leaves but you are embarrassed to tell your friends that you eat leaves for dinner.

You cook a meal that lasts three days.

Your aunt always asks you when she can dance at your wedding.

Your Father swears at you with words that effect himself.

You say "Get down from the car" instead of "get out of the car."

You always act like you WANT to pay; but in reality you hate it.

You own a gold cross necklace.

You play cards till the break of dawn.

You NEVER run out of "rizza" [Rice].

You can't have a meal without pita bread.

You feel proud when someone famous or a celebrity has ANY Assyrian blood in them.

You a have a difficult Assyrian name; so you come up with an American version like "Sam" "Mike" "Joe" "Willy."

You have someone tell you your fortune through your coffee cup.

You say Bolice for Police.

You get really excited and call your whole family to the room when there is a special or a documentary on Assyrians on CNN or Discovery channel.

Waxing salon is your second home.

You wont eat meat on Wednesday or Friday, but your "love life" has nothing to do with your religion.

You are awaken at night by a member of your family yelling over the phone to overseas.

Your convinced that your mom would win a "slipper throwing contest" because of her accuracy.

It doesn't even cross your mind NOT to Bar-B-Q at two in the morning on your front porch.

The word Yalla is a part of your Assyrian vocabulary.

When you get visitors from overseas they live with you for 5 months.

The Story of a Kidnapped Iraqi Christian Girl

By Queen Amidala
Basra, Iraq

A few weeks ago, a 15-year-old Christian girl was kidnapped from the door of her home. The kidnappers were members of Al Sadr Army which is called Al Mahdi. Here's what happened:

At 7:30 a.m. a group of people knocked on the door and the girl answered the door. They were prepared for her to answer the door and immediately kidnapped her. After a minute or two, her mother called on her to see who was on the door. But she got no answer. So she went out to see what was going on. She saw the door wide open and her daughter was no were to be found. The mother called the father. After few minutes they knew their daughter was kidnapped. They immediately started their search for her. They realized they need help from some powerful people; otherwise they would loss their daughter.

The help came from Al Daawa Islamic Party as it indicated its responsibilty for the security in their area. Al-Daawa Party knew the person who kidnapped the girl. They went immediately to his parents house. The kidnapper's parents explained they have the girl. But since the father didn’t approve of his son’s action, he sent the girl to his sister's house. The head of Al Daawa Party asked the parents to bring the girl back to their home in case their son would kidnap her again if she went back to home. The kidnapper's parents obeyed Al Daawa Party and the girl reunited with her mother at the home of Head of Al Daawa Party, where they stayed until the next day.

The kidnapper was from Al Mahdi Army. That's why everyone was very careful not to send the girl back to her house after she was found. You see they were able to take the girl right form under the nose of her parents because they are Christians and the kidnapper has a very powerful background -- if you can call Al Mahdi Army poweful.

Don’t think the girl is safe again. The kidnapper and his parents keep coming back – this time formally – to ask for the girl's hand. The girl lost this year's school and she is currently staying home. Her parents are afraid for hers and the family's safety.

The ironic thing is that the Christian community are divided over this incident. Some Christians think the girl had an affair with the Muslim guy and they were planning to run away just because she was kidnapped, financially poor and lives in poor part of Basrah.

I got angry with them and told them that this is a good opportunity for Basrawi Christians to stick together and not to drift apart like this. I told them if they are going to act like this, then we deserve whatever happen to us in the future. I mean from now on, any girl could be kidnapped on any basis; and we will say “well, she might have had an affair with the guy and wanted to run away with him.” to stop thinking of the consequences of such actions.

This is our Christian community in Basrah. This is how we act when one of us has a problem. We blame the victim to rest our minds.

The Murder of Sisters Fadhila and Margaret Naoum

Last week, many media outlets and bloggers claimed the murder of two Iraqi nuns in the city of Kirkuk. The media got it wrong in regard to this story. The two murdered Iraqi Christians were laywomen and NOT nuns. Zenit News Agency reports:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, MARCH 30, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The murder of two elderly women of the Catholic Chaldean community in Kirkuk has heightened fears of the spread of anti-Christian violence in Iraq, says Archbishop Louis Sako.

The archbishop of the northern Iraqi diocese told the group Aid to the Church in Need that a Dominican nun telephoned him late Monday to report the death of Fadhila Naoum, 85, and her sister Margaret, 79.

The archbishop said the attackers broke into the home of the two women located near Kirkuk's city hall and a Dominican convent. The nuns had close links with the Naoum sisters.

Read more...

This doesn't make the crime less heinous. But, the media has a responsibility to check its sources before it publishes a report for the whole world to read and cause some to panic. I'm not asking too much from the media.

R.I.P Fadhila and Margaret.

Giving Up Something For Lent

I switched to decaf drinks last year. Once a week, I need caffeine in my system to keep me going. Knowing this need, I decided to give up Starbucks coffee for Lent. Well, that went well for a week or two. I'd say I did miserably this year. I hope you did better than me.

In the age of technology, there could be more than food to give up:

(CNN) -- For some, it's chocolate. For others, it's coffee or cigarettes. But as this Easter approaches, some young and devout Christians are anxious to return to what they gave up for Lent: Internet sites Facebook and MySpace.
[...]
"It's been hard, especially in the beginning," said Kerry Graham, who says she gave up Facebook for Lent. Her boyfriend challenged her to do so, describing her as a "Facebook fiend."

During the first days of Lent, the 23-year-old graduate student admits she had to stop herself from typing the site's Web address nearly every time she checked her e-mail.

Read more...

As a blogger, I understand how hard that could be. I won't try it because I'll definitely fail. Not that I did better with coffee.

Prayer For New Growth

Holy and loving God,

Just as the gardener cares for what he has planted, so we nourish our growth with your tender care.

When our sins and offenses keep us from flourishing and bearing good fruit, you offer us your gift of forgiveness and the chance to begin again.

May our Lenten fast prune us of those habits of word and deed that prevent your grace from flowing in our lives.

May our Lenten prayer fertilize the roots of new growth in holiness.

May our Lenten almsgiving bring forth blossoms of generosity and good will toward all your creation.

Amen.

Source: My church's bulletin.

Taxing The Iraqi Christians

I have heard from different media sources that some Iraqi Christians have started paying protection tax (jizya) to Muslim groups in Iraq. Australian CathNews reports:

As the number of Christians in Iraq continues to dwindle, reports are emerging that those who remain are being forced to pay Ottoman Empire-style poll taxes in order to be guaranteed protection and religious freedom.

AsiaNews reports that Islamic militias in Baghdad and Mosul are now ordering Christians to pay the jizya, a poll tax which dates back to the period of the Ottoman Empire, with money collected being given in alms to mosques.

Read more...

If the news are true, then there won't be many Iraqi Christians left in Iraq very soon.

UPDATE 03/22/2007
I e-mailed Queen Amidala in Basra for more details regarding this rumor. She sent me back this e-mail:

The Christians aren't the only people who are paying jizya to militias or gangs. The rich people and others who hold high positions in government offices pay it too.

I know a person who holds a very high and delicate position in a government office. He was threatened few times by the militias. So, he had to pay jizya to a tribe for his own protection. Otherwise, he or his family members would be either kidnapped or killed. Now, most of his security guards are from the tribe he pays the jizya for.

The rich people are doing the same for their own safety.