{"id":2421,"date":"2013-02-26T07:03:00","date_gmt":"2013-02-26T07:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/patriarch-urges-protection-for-iraqs-fleeing-christians\/"},"modified":"2013-02-26T07:03:00","modified_gmt":"2013-02-26T07:03:00","slug":"patriarch-urges-protection-for-iraqs-fleeing-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/02\/patriarch-urges-protection-for-iraqs-fleeing-christians\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriarch urges protection for Iraq’s fleeing Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Baghdad, Iraq, Feb 26, 2013 \/ 12:03 am (CNA<\/a>).- Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, says greater security is needed for Christians in Iraq who are leaving their homeland for fear of local disorder.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThey are leaving the country because there is no stability. Another reason is the rise of fundamentalism,\u201d the patriarch told Aid to the Church in Need Feb. 25.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cSecurity and freedom\u201d are the most important issues for the Church's survival in Iraq, he said.<\/p>\n

\tPatriarch Raphael is head of the Chaldean Patriarchate of Babylon, and is Archbishop of the Chaldean Archdiocese of Baghdad. The Chaldean Catholic Church is one of the Eastern-rite Churches which is in full communion with the Pope.<\/p>\n

\tPatriarch Raphael was confirmed in his position on Feb. 1. He is 64, and in 1974 was ordained a priest for the Chaldean Archeparchy of Mossul. He then served as archbishop of the Chaldean Archdiocese of Kerkuk from 2003 until his selection as patriarch of Babylon.<\/p>\n

\tHe said that when Iraqi Christians \u201cfeel secure, free and equal with the others, they will stay, otherwise they will leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIn 1990 the Chaldean Archdiocese of Baghdad had some 481,000 members. That had dropped to 140,000 in 2003, when Saddam Hussein's Baathist government fell. In the first three years of the introduction of democracy to Iraq, the archdiocese lost another 5,000 members.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cChristians have lost their trust in the future. They are disappointed,\u201d said Patriarch Raphael.<\/p>\n

\tBomb attacks in Kerkuk and Tuz Khurmatu in January left at least 30 people dead and more than 200 wounded, according to Aid to the Church in Need, which said that violence was politically motivated.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cFundamentalism does not accept Christians\u2026 Extremists think that the reason for their predicament is the West, i.e. Christians,\u201d Patriarch Raphael noted.<\/p>\n

\tHe said there is unhealthy tension among political factions, and between the national government and the Kurdish government which controls much of northern Iraq.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe whole situation is bad. There is tension between the government and the opposition, also between the central government and the Kurdish regional government.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tPatriarch Raphael said that Pope Benedict welcomed his confirmation as patriarch with prayers and congratulations, and that the pontiff said, \u201cI hope you can stimulate the dialogue in your country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe patriarch has long been a part of dialogue with Muslims in the country. Iraq's population is roughly 95 percent Muslim, and three to five percent Christian.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe Pope appealed to me so that we remain, as in the past, a bridge for all, between Christians and Muslims and between Iraqi citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Baghdad, Iraq, Feb 26, 2013 \/ 12:03 am (CNA).- Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, says greater security is needed for Christians in Iraq who are leaving their homeland for fear of local disorder.<\/p>\n

\t“They are le…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-middle-east-africa","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nPatriarch urges protection for Iraq's fleeing Christians<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Baghdad, Iraq, Feb 26, 2013 \/ 12:03 am (CNA).- Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, says greater security is needed for Christians in Iraq who are leaving their homeland for fear of local disorder. “They are le...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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