ASIA/IRAQ – Patriarch Sako, message to the Chaldeans: Iraqi Christians are also infected by sectarianism

ASIA/IRAQ – Patriarch Sako, message to the Chaldeans: Iraqi Christians are additionally contaminated by sectarianism

Erbil (Agenzia Fides) – Sectarianism is destroying the sense of belonging of the Iraqi nation, and even Christians are are “drawn into these sectarian logics and its divisions”. For them, a fragile minority neighborhood, the contagion of sectarianism is equal to self-destruction: It’s a heartbroken and pressing enchantment addressed by the Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako “to the Chaldeans of the entire world”. A warning issued at a time that Cardinal Sako considers vital for Christian communities. It’s a decisive time wherein the survival of Christian communities in Iraq appears threatened not a lot by exterior enemies, however by ambitions and sectarian divisions which might be dividing the hearts of brothers and sisters in Christ. The Patriarch remembers in the identical title of the Message the phrases of Jesus within the Gospel based on Matthew: “Each kingdom divided towards itself can be laid waste, and no city or home divided towards itself will stand”.

Within the message, printed on Sunday, February 18, the Patriarch calls into query “worldwide and regional influences and corrupt events” that “attempt to divide Iraqis into sectarian communities”, and “have managed to destroy the sense of belonging to a nation”. At the moment, in Iraq – continues Cardinal Sako – everybody “claims to belong to their very own neighborhood: Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and now additionally Christians”, whereas the governments, “equally immersed on this sectarian logic”, appear incapable of defending the nationwide sovereignty of the nation.
The Chaldean Cardinal confesses that he “painfully confirmed” all of the divisions that exist throughout the Iraqi Christian communities throughout his latest journey to Belgium and the Netherlands. Moreover, in these international locations, amongst Iraqi Christians within the diaspora, “there are those that name themselves Chaldeans or Assyro-Chaldeans and people who outline themselves as Assyrians or Syriacs”. There are those that are mobilizing to “discovered a brand new social gathering” and people who “plan to prepare a Chaldean convention, and it’s definitely not for the great of the Chaldeans”.
The divisions amongst Iraqi Christians – the Patriarch insists – “lead us to self-destruction”, a state of affairs that should be prevented by not calling the Chaldeans to unite “round their identification and their Church”. Patriarch Sako, who’s at present engaged in a visit to Saudi Arabia, claims his assist for the unity of the Church buildings, recalling that “unity is achieved with robust folks, not with opportunists”. The Iraqi Cardinal additionally factors out that the divisions that infiltrate amongst Christians in Iraq and the Center East have a political nature. The Patriarch invitations everybody to think about what is going on in Lebanon, the place Patriarch Bechara Boutros Raï’s makes an attempt to carry collectively the Maronite political events to elect a President of the Republic “haven’t been profitable.” “There isn’t any salvation for us – concludes Cardinal Sako – with out unity and solidarity, particularly since our numbers in Iraq are lowering and our presence is threatened”. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 20/2/2024)

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