A Christmas of fear and sadness
for Iraqi Christians, in memory of the martyrs killed Oct. 31 in the
Syrian Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad.
Many
masses were called off across the country, and security measures
heightened. But in the midst of this also the determination expressed in
a message also sent to AsiaNews by Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk.
According to Middle East Concern,
the celebrations were cancelled as a result of threats posted on Web
sites of Islamic groups.
"The decision was taken after the threats were
repeated on Tuesday, December 22. The churches in Baghdad, Mosul and
Kirkuk have decided not to put up Christmas decorations and called off
ceremonies after dark”.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has called on Christians not to
leave Iraq. "Attempts to keep Christians away from their homeland and
their land, which clung to them through the centuries, is a great crime
against national unity," al-Maliki said in a statement marking the
Christmas holiday.
But many churches in Mosul did not hold celebrations
while in Basra the roads leading to churches were cordoned off with
barbed wire, and the buildings were surrounded by security forces.
In this gloomy picture, the archbishop of Kirkuk, wants to talk about hope.
"As
long as we get back to each other: Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, Muslims
and Christians, we resist and we stay, because Iraq without us loses its
beautiful multi-identity. We remain because are committed to love and
to return to each other. This is the road to resurrection, life and renewal".
Archbishop Sako recalled Oct. 31: " We live in Iraq today, a
painful experience, culminating in the massacre of Our Lady of
Deliverance, which have shocked Christians and Muslims together, but we
are determined to withstand the ordeal. We will not give in to
temptation and frustration because life is a gift from God and it is greater than the hands of evil can destroy it".
"If we go back to the essence of religion and to our common human roots, inevitably we will meet tour national fraternity in equality, justice, solidarity. Then risk will vanish and life will reflect abundantly This is good news of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ with his message of hope: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace. "
The Archbishop of Kirkuk concluded his message with an appeal
for peace: "Peace is the base of all goods: we ask it in prayer and
implement it with mutual love and solidarity. Then the miracle happens
and we will have peace on earth for human beings and the glory of God in
the highest. We both believe that God is the Lord of the impossible".
SIC: AN/INT'L