CNA<\/a>).- Chaldean patriarch Louis Sako I has suspended a group of monks and priests who fled Iraq without consulting their superiors, saying a priest\u2019s primary duty is to serve his flock wherever he is asked.<\/p>\n\t\u201cBefore his ordination, the \u2018Priest\u2019 announces the offering of his whole life to God and the Church. It is an offering grounded in the obedience to his superiors without any conservation,\u201d Patriarch Sako said in his Oct. 22 statement.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cFor monks, the vows are absolute; chastity, obedience and poverty. Looking for substitutes is considered a grave violation to the vows.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tPublished on the Chaldean Patriarchate\u2019s website, the statement gives the names of six priests and six monks who, as of Oct. 22, have been suspended from their priestly duties for leaving their eparchies without consulting their superiors, and for refusing to return when asked.<\/p>\n
\tThe patriarch noted that those who left are currently living in the United States, Canada, Australia and Sweden, and assured that because of this, his decision \u201cis not an act against a certain Eparchy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHe explained that the decision was made in accord with the monastic context after consulting Canon Law and monastic regulations, as well as speaking with the permanent synod and informing the Vatican\u2019s Congregation of the Oriental Churches.<\/p>\n
\tPatriarch Sako asked that all bishops adhere to Canon Law in order to ensure order in the midst of the crisis unfolding in the Middle East, and to maintain centralization in the Church and Eparchies.<\/p>\n
\tIf the decree of suspension is not published, then \u201cconfusion will occur and rumors will spread,\u201d the patriarch explained.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cToday\u2019s Church, away from compliments, relativity and ambiguity, counts on explicitly revealing the truths to all and not hiding them, so that people may know the truth and have confidence in the Church.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHe said that the objective of the degree itself is to end the \u201cillegal exit\u201d of the priests from their eparchies, and said that it had only been issued after numerous \u201cunfortunately unfruitful\u201d ultimatums and attempts were made on the part of the Chaldean Order superior and other Church authorities to get them to return.<\/p>\n
\tAmong the primary duties of a priest are to keep the faith complete, to build up the Mystical Body of Christ and to enhance the unity of his Church, Patriarchate or Eparchy under the guidance of the local ordinary, Patriarch Sako observed.<\/p>\n
\tHe explained that a priest is someone who serves \u201cwhere the Church sends (him) not where he wishes to serve. This is a successive tradition since the Apostolic Age.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tIn the Byzantine ordination liturgy, the patriarch breaks the consecrated host into four pieces, giving one of them to the newly ordained priest as a symbol of unity and communion, he pointed out, saying that these values \u201cshould never fade because of personal interests!\u201d<\/p>\n
\tPatriarch Sako then spoke of many contemporary priests who have given \u201celoquent\u201d examples of shedding their blood for their flocks.<\/p>\n
\tHe mentioned Hana Qasha from the village of Suria, Ragheed Ganni and Bishop Paulus Faraj Rahho of Mosul, as well as the many priests who have been kidnapped or forced to leave their churches, but have stayed with their flock despite the dangers.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI remind you, brothers, of Jesus\u2019 saying, \u2018He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life,\u2019\u201d the patriarch said, quoting the Gospel of John.<\/p>\n
\tThe Church, he continued, is both a mother \u201cwho loves her children but does not spoil them, and a teacher who raises, reminds, guides, and corrects the path of her children with responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tPatriarch Sako then spoke directly to priests serving outside of their eparchies, alluding to the fact that he has documents from the priest\u2019s bishops other than the ones that they have posted online.<\/p>\n
\tThe patriarch also forgave some of the priests \u201cfrom the bottom of my heart\u201d for insulting words that they have directed toward him, and asked that \u201cthe merciful God\u201d might also forgive them.<\/p>\n
\tA separate priest, Fr. Paulus Khuzeran, was personally thanked by Patriarch Sako for deciding to leave where he was staying in the United States, and return to his monestary in obedience to his superiors. Yousif Lazghin, who returned from Australia, was another that the patriarch thanked by name.<\/p>\n
\tIf the other priests now officially under suspension will return, their status will be reviewed, he said.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe plead to all to pray for the Chaldean Church and her progress for the Glory of God and the good of her children,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\tThe six monks currently under suspension were named as Noel Istepho Gorgis; Andraws Gorgis Toma; Oraha Qardagh Mansour; Patros Solaqa; Ayob Shawkat Adwar, who immigrated recently to Canada; and Fady Isho Hanna, who has already submitted an application the Congregation of the Oriental Churches to be a diocesan priest. He will still be suspended until the potential approval is received.<\/p>\n
\tThe six priests named in the decree are Fareed Kena and Faris Yaqo Maroghi, from the Eparchy of Alqosh, both of whom were suspended by Msgr. Michael Maqdasi, Bishop of Alqosh, over a year ago; Remon Hameed and Hurmiz Petros Haddad from the Eparchy of Baghdad; Peter (Petros) Lawrance, from the Eparchy of Basrah then Baghdad; and Yousif (Lazgeen) Abdulahad, from the Eparchy of Zakho and Amadiya.<\/p>\n
\tLetters for the latter two have already been sent to their patriarchates.
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Vatican City, Oct 26, 2014 \/ 04:41 am (CNA).- Chaldean patriarch Louis Sako I has suspended a group of monks and priests who fled Iraq without consulting their superiors, saying a priest’s primary duty is to serve his flock wherever he is asked.
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