By Father Albert Hisham Naoum

Father Albert Hisham Naoum is an Iraqi Chaldean priest studying communications in Rome, and was a friend of Father Wasim Sabieh and Father Thaier Saad Abdal, the two priests who died in the attack on 31 October on Our Lady of Salvation Syrian Catholic Church. Eleven of the 15 dioceses in Iraq belong to the Chaldean Rite of the Catholic Church, one to the Roman or Latin Rite, one to the Armenian Rite and two to the Syrian.
 
ROME, NOV. 11, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The martyrs of the Church of Our Lady of Salvation showed the world once again who we are, the Christians of Iraq, and they joined the martyrs of our Church, those who sacrificed their lives to Christ our Lord, who taught us to bear witness to the resurrection of life, for forgiveness, for hope, for love, for faith, joy.

For Christians in Iraq, Oct. 31 was not the first time they have suffered, and no human being, especially those who claim to want peace, but really don't, can pretend that this will be the last time. But they do not interest us, because our hope has never been, and never will be, in them, but in the One who took up his cross and walked the path of death to ensure that life will continue and eventually win.

The two priests who died with their people.

Joy and tragedy

Iraq's Christians have experienced deeply the meaning of life because they have experienced its joys after having tasted the bitterness of grief. They have lived in hope after experiencing the power of tragedy. They experienced laughter after having paid tears, and have experienced smiles after seeing their will broken by violence. These are really the Christians of Iraq with their good hearts, who love everyone, their country, and life, and these are those who forgive their enemies, and sow goodness wherever they are, spreading the spirit of peace. And despite their great suffering, they never forgot to live their Christian spirit in every place they went.

As an example of all this I can show you the Church of Our Lady of Salvation, which speaks on behalf of all Christians in Iraq, and which give examples written with the blood of its martyrs.

Have you heard how they died in this massacre, the two brave priests, and Wasim Sabieh and Thaier Saad Abdal? Did you know that they defended the faithful and tried to save their lives by offering their own from the first moment the criminals set foot in church? Did you know that a father protected his son by covering him completely with his own body while they were lying on the floor, and died in a hail of bullets so that the child would survive? Have you heard that the killers murdered a four-month-old baby girl and a young woman who, on the day of her death, had received the best news, namely that she was pregnant, and so went to church to thank God for this gift?

O people of the world, these are the Christians of Iraq. Hear and evangelize to everyone!

And you Christians of Iraq, when sadness fills your soul and you cannot imagine the future, look up there, to the God of Heaven and Earth, and remember well who you are and let the world know! Christ will not leave us alone, we are his "little flock," and he wants us to remain forever with him, to live our faith and our love for all as we have always done, because as he tells us, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples" (John 13: 35).

We witness with our lives, so that the world can see what is happening to us, so that those who have plugged their ears and those who have shut their mouths will speak about who we are. We are the Christians of Iraq!

[Translation from Arabic by ZENIT]

Iraqi Muslims light candles for the siege victims at Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, 9 November 2010.

Archbishop: Attack on Iraqi Church Is a "Nightmare"

Holy See's UN Delegate Leads Prayer Service for Victims

NEW YORK, NOV. 12, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The attack on the Syriac Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad Iraq was the "worst possible nightmare," and one that isn't quite over, says the Holy See's representative at the United Nations.

Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said this tonight in New York City's Church of the Holy Family -- located one block away from the United Nations -- during a special evening prayer service for the victims of the Oct. 31 attack.

The Holy See's Mission, in conjunction with the Syriac Catholic Diocese of Our Lady of Deliverance and the Archdiocese of New York, organized the event on behalf of the 58 victims who died in the attack, and the more than 100 who were left wounded. Also in attendance was Bishop Yousif Habash, the Syriac Catholic bishop for the United States and Canada.

Archbishop Chullikatt had been the apostolic nuncio to Iraq and Jordan for the last four years until arriving in New York two months ago to fill his new post at the United Nations. His former residence in Baghdad was only a short distance from the cathedral, and he knew the priests who were murdered -- Father Thaer Abdal and Father Wassim Al-Qas Boutrus -- as well as other victims.

In his opening remarks he lamented that some of the families who lost loved ones on that day have been subject to further attacks on their homes.

"What happened on Oct. 31 is the worst possible nightmare," he said. "And the nightmare is not over. Some of the same families who lost loved ones then, have in the meantime, suffered further violent attacks on their homes. The situation is intolerable."

"We all are saddened to hear of places of worship being attacked," the archbishop continued. "We are especially outraged by these heinous acts when they are perpetrated for the sake of eradicating a religion from a particular place in God’s creation, when our brothers and sisters are killed just because of their faith.  That is never the way to spread faith in God.

He concluded with an impassioned plea for peace and reconciliation: "Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you."

The archbishop said that not only do the dead and their families need prayers, but also those assembled need to pray "so that our hearts do not grow bitter and so that we can do our share in building a world that values and promotes reconciliation, harmony, love and peace among peoples, nations and religions."

In the program for the event, the names of all the martyrs of Our Lady of Deliverance were published. Here are the names as they appeared:

Rev. Father Thaer Abdal
Rev. Father Wassim Al-Qas Boutrus

George Ayoub Toubaias
Nabil Elias
Sahem Adnana

Thaer Kamel with his wife Nada and his son Omar
Nada Hamis Stefan
Omar Ousi

Aziz Almyzi
Younan Georgis Alsaour with his son and daughter-in-law and granddaughter

John Younan
Rita Matti Georgis Zora
Sandro John Younan

Maha Naseef Bino with her two sons Wisam and Salam
Salam Adeeb
Wisam Adeeb

Fayez Waedallah Qzazi
Audai Zhair Marzeina Arab
Adam Audai Zhair Arab

Behnam Mansour Paulus Mamika
Ayoub Adnan Ayoub Berjo
Sabah Matti Hamai

Saed Edward Alsaati
Fares Najeeb Philip Anawi
Vivine Naser Maro

Nazir Abdulahad Anai
Fadi Behouda
Mazen Fadil Salim Elias Mahrouk

Abdalla Haddad
Wamek Haddad
RaghdaWafi Bishara

Nizar Jamil Matloub
Noel Nizar Jamil Matloub
Bassam Jamil Al-Khouri

Adnan Jamil Al-Khouri
Bahnam Mikhaeil
Salah Georgis AbdelAhad Qaqo

Christine Nabil Toubaia Katnawi
Raed Saadallah Abdal
Fadi Samir Habib Amso

Athil Nageeb Aboudi
Nizar Hazem Al Sayegh
Souheila Johnny