L’Osservatore Romano has this afternoon published a message from Pope Benedict XVI to Archbishop Athanase Matti Shaba Matoka, the Syriac-Catholic archbishop of Baghdad.
The message was sent to coincide with the funerals today of the victims of the terrorist atrocity on Sunday against the Syriac-Catholic community in the Iraqi capital.
According to the latest reports, the attack in the church of Our Lady of Deliverance resulted in 58 deaths, including women and children and two priests. Eighty were injured.
The Pope writes (my translation):
Deeply moved by the violent deaths of so many faithful and of the reverend priests Tha’ir Saad and Boutros Wasim, I wish, on the occasion of the Sacred Rite of funerals, to participate spiritually, while praying that these brothers and sisters be accepted into the mercy of Christ in the House of the Father.
For years this beloved country has suffered untold hardships and even Christians have become the subject of brutal attacks that, in total disregard of life, an inviolable gift from God, want to undermine trust and peaceful coexistence.
I renew my appeal that the sacrifice of these, our brothers and sisters, can be seeds of peace and a true rebirth, so that those who care about reconciliation, solidarity and fraternal coexistence, find motivation and strength to do good.
To all of you, dear brothers and sons, I offer my apostolic blessing, which I willingly extend to the injured and to your families so sorely tried.
The Pope sent an earlier message deploring the attack, at the Angelus on the Feast of All Saints yesterday.
Below is a summary of Archbishop Matoka’s intervention at the Synod on the Middle East which took place in Rome last month:
Iraq, land of Mesopotamia, land of civilizations, where Abraham was born, where Ur, Babel, and Niniveh are, land of holy scripture, land of faith and of martyrs… Since Christianity spread there, realized despite the persecution by the Persians throughout the centuries , the blood of martyrs flowed and the Islamic influence covered it.
Today and since the Revolution of Abd el Karim Kassem, Iraq does not cease living a situation of instability of trials and wars. The last being the American occupation. Christians have always had their part in the sacrifices and tribulations: with the martyrs in the wars and all sorts of different hardships.
Since the year 2003, Christians are the victims of a killing situation, which has provoked a great emigration from Iraq. Even if there are no definite statistics, the indicators underline that half the Christians have abandoned Iraq and that without a doubt there are only about 400,000 Christians left of the 800,000 that lived there. The invasion of Iraq by America and its allies brought to Iraq in general, and especially to its Christians, destruction and ruin on all levels. Churches were blown up, bishops and priests and lay persons were massacred, many were the victims of aggression. Doctors and businessmen were kidnapped, others were threatened, storage places and homes were pillaged…
Perhaps the acuity with which Christianity was targeted has been lightened during the last two years, but there still is the fear of the unknown, insecurity and instability, as well as the continuation of emigration, which always makes this question arise: what is the future of Christian existence in this country should this situation continue, more so because the civil authorities are so weak. The tears are continuous between the different religious and political composing elements, as well as external influence by external powers, especially neighboring countries.
Seven years have passed and Christianity is still bleeding. Where is the world conscience? All the world remains a spectator before what is happening in Iraq, especially with regards to Christians.
We want to sound the alarm. We ask the question of the great powers: is it true what is said that there is a plan to empty the Middle East of Christians and that Iraq is one of the victims? I think this Synod should study this subject with attention and should see what can be decided in trying to reach a solution to the situation existing in the Middle East.
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The terrorism against the Christian Arameans (Syriacs) in Iraq must stop!
The Arameans are persecuted, expelled and murdered.
The Americans and Europeans can not look away.
It is ridiculous that the West in general, and we Catholics in particular look away and ignore these atrocities. Maybe we are a weak, dying civilization, unable and unwilling to protect our own. Just imagine the outrage if it had been 58 Jews killed in this atrocity.
Jim,
I agree that it is a terrible thing to ignore this horrific murders.
One thing I do disagree with though, is the idea that if they were Jews we would care all of the sudden. Jews get blown up in Israel too. Palestinians get blow up there as well. Christians get blown up in the Philippines too.
In short, I don’t think it has to do with that they are Christians that the West ignores it. In general, the public in the West ignores most all acts like this regardless of who is killed mainly because, well, it just doesn’t care. So long as they are ‘over there’, and not here, of course…
In the readings today were are told to carry our cross and follow our Lord. Those that are persecuted are living that message. We can only pray that these martyrs are the “seeds of peace and a true rebirth”. Unfortunately, history teaches us it won’t be anytime soon in this region.
“The invasion of Iraq by America and its allies brought to Iraq in general, and especially to its Christians, destruction and ruin on all levels. Churches were blown up, bishops and priests and lay persons were massacred, many were the victims of aggression. Doctors and businessmen were kidnapped, others were threatened, storage places and homes were pillaged…”
This is the first I hear that Christians in Iraq were targeted, so to speak. I do keep in touch with news around the world, so that’s not the reason I didn’t know. Did President Bush know about this? Did he sanction this destruction of Churches and the massacre of Christians? Why were Americans not made aware of this situation? Was the American Media to blame?
I deeply regret this and am profoundly troubled and sorrowful about it. May God bless the brave Christians in Iraq and help them in their plight. May the rest of us pray the Rosary for peace and ask Our Lady’s intercession; she can ask the Father, through “OUR SON, JESUS CHRIST!” for an end to this injustice.
I am surprised to hear anyone say that they were unaware of this. News reports of atrocities against Christians have been trickling from Iraq ever since the war started.
But what is to be done? I would claim that the U.S.A. has lost its opportunity to help. This may be part of the reason why the late Holy Father so strongly urged us not to start the war.
Help that comes from non-governmental, non-national Christian entities might stand a better chance of success.
Maryhelen needs to to a little research, the persucution of christians in Iraq was even worse before the war, catholics have been living in fear over there for centuries and it worsened under Sadamm Hussian.
Dear Robert R,
I think you have to pay attention to what the Archbishop is saying. He is on the ground, so to speak, and he certainly knows the situation better than Americans who get most of our info from the goofy news media. We should listen to the bishops of the Middle East and what they are saying on behalf of their people. They are our brothers and sisters in faith and we should be listening to them.
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