BAGHDAD (Agenzia Fides): The Chaldean bishops gathered in Baghdad for the annual Synod of the Chaldean Church, invited the international community to make serious efforts “to protect and affirm peace at all times”, and to “immediately end the war.”
The synod, held from July 15 to 19 at the patriarchal seat of Al-Mansour, Baghdad, Iraq, and chaired by Patriarch Louis Raphaël Cardinal Sako, looked into the life of Christian communities living in the Middle East, starting from the war in the Holy Land and its consequences for the entire region.
In addition to expressing “their deep concern”, “condemn[ing] violence in all its forms” echoed Pope Francis’s wish for two peoples in two “neighbouring states living in peace, security, stability and mutual trust.”
The Chaldean bishops then focused on Christians in the region who “have suffered greatly over the last two decades due to deprivation of their rights, marginalisation, social exclusion and the seizure of goods and properties”… “which have pushed many Christians to emigrate in search of a better environment.”
In a statement at the end of the assembly, the bishops called on the Iraqi “government to treat the Christian community equitably, giving it confidence and strengthening cooperation, at the national level, taking advantage of each person’s skills to develop this country.”
The synod also called on the government to “fully respect their rights as citizens, with equal representation and employment.”
The Chaldean synod fathers said, “Unity is our strength and our salvation. Despite the wounds, we continue to love our countries and our citizens, and we would like to collaborate with them to spread a culture of coexistence, respecting the differences of others and consolidating the hope of a just and civilised society.”
