For many years Christians in Iraq suffered at the hands of different “rulers” and had to leave their churches aside due to the insecurity and violence that surrounded them.
That all changed earlier this week after the Divine Liturgy was celebrated for the first time in more than 20 years in Deir Mar Mikhael (Saint Michael’s Monastery)located 6 km northwest of Mosul, near the Tigris River in northern Iraq.
Al Jazeera commented that the Sunday mass was in charge of the Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussahead of the Chaldean diocese of Mosul and Aqra, who confessed to the middle of his happiness to be able to do this after so long.
“We hope that we can continue our prayers in all the destroyed churches and monasteries that were destroyed and their believers displaced,” he said.
And he added: “Mar Mikhael [es conocido como] the companion of the angels due to his highness in virtue and high morals. When ISIL controlled Mosul, many churches and monasteries were destroyed and many are still damaged, despite the fact that six years have passed since the liberation of the city.”.
The outlet spoke with Hamid Tuzi, 31, a worshiper who attended the mass, and commented, “After 2003, as Christians, we used to stay at home for long periods and deliberately not go to churches and monasteries due to poor conditions. of security and threats to Christians”.
“Christians were frequently attacked, many people were threatened and emigrated, and many priests were killed”.
It should be remembered that the residents of Mosul have lived in insecurity since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. In June 2014, the city was taken over by the ISIL armed group (ISIS), which held it until July 2017. But even after their city was liberated, the people of Mosul suffered scattered attacks that added to the sense of insecurity.
The Pope’s historic visit
Pope Francis concluded his three-day visit to Iraq in March 2021, with a massive mass celebrated in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, in which he invited the 10,000 faithful present not to fall into revenge, despite the injuries from the war and violence.
“Here in Iraq, how many of your brothers and sisters, friends and fellow citizens bear the wounds of war and violence, visible and invisible wounds. The temptation is to respond to these and other painful events with human strength, with human wisdom.”Francis said in his homily.
“Iraq will always remain with me, in my heart.. I ask all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to work together in unity for a future of peace and prosperity that does not discriminate or leave anyone behind”, he said in his final message, which was interrupted several times by the applause of the assistants. And he assured his prayers for this “beloved country” and, in particular, for “the members of the various religious communities.”
During his visit to Mosul he said, “Here in Mosul the tragic consequences of war and hostility are all too evident. Today, despite everything, we reaffirm our conviction that brotherhood is stronger than fratricide, hope is stronger than death, peace is stronger than war”.
“The voice of hatred and violence can never be silenced in the blood spilled by those who profane the name of God by following paths of destruction”, the Pope pointed out.
Keep reading:
The cultural massacre continues: ISIS vandalized a 10th-century Assyrian Catholic monastery in Iraq
Angelina Jolie visited Mosul, the Iraqi stronghold where ISIS sowed terror and destruction
Pope Francis concluded his visit to Iraq with a mass in Kurdistan: “Revenge is an endless spiral of reprisals”
Source-www.infobae.com