Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan, a Syrian Catholic, called on the Iraqi government to ensure the safety of all Iraqi citizens, especially Christians, “who are defenseless, honest and peaceful people.” In his homily at a memorial Mass in Baghdad on Dec. 10 that venerated the “46 new martyrs” of the Syrian Catholic Church killed in a terrorist siege on Oct. 31, the patriarch said the presence of government officials at the liturgy “helped to inspire some trust and feelings of some protection” for the faithful. The patriarch said: “It is the responsibility of the Iraqi government to carry out proper and thorough investigations to uncover the terrorist groups who did plan and finance the carnage...and to bring them publicly to justice…. We need deeds and not just…promises.”
Patriarch Urges Protection in Iraq
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Although overtly campaigning to be pope is discouraged and would be counterproductive, the cardinals do a lot of politicking in private prior to the conclave.
Pope Francis’ final moments were peaceful, and he managed to give one last farewell to his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, before slipping into a coma early April 21, Vatican News reported.
All of Pope Francis' gestures, meetings and desires for encounter were themselves a form of “teaching.” And L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics and their families have told me repeatedly what a difference this change in approach has meant.
Pope Francis was a great lover of literature: He peppered his homilies, talks and even encyclicals with literary references from Dostoyevsky, Proust, Hopkins, Dante and more, and he also encouraged his flock to read broadly and often.