ICC Note: On June 20-21 the Catholic Chaldean Church held a two day meeting in Erbil, Iraq to try and “breathe new life” into the pastoral outreach programs to those who remain in the unsteady region. The meeting focused on inter-relational reforms in a spiritual, liturgical and pastoral manner. As the situation for Christians remaining in Iraq is still very volatile, hopefully such reforms will help boost the faith and community among IDPs.

06/24/2016 Iraq (CRUX): Amid an ongoing war that has caused the majority of Iraqi Christians to flee their homes in the last two years, the Catholic Chaldean Church had a two-day meeting recently to try to breathe new life into pastoral outreach programs in an attempt to boost the faith of those who remain.

The June 20-21 encounter took place in Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region, where hundreds of thousands of Christians have found shelter after fleeing Mosul and the Niniveh Plain following the advances of the Islamist Terrorist group ISIS in 2014.

Addressing the clergy gathered, Chaldean Patriarch Raphael Louis Sako said the local Christian community expected “spiritual, liturgical and pastoral” reforms that would meet their current situation, calling for a further inclusion of the laity in diocesan and parish councils.

“These reforms may help them also to continue making history and to bridge the gap with their fellow citizens through enhancing cooperation and coexistence, rather than retreating,” he said.

The scope of the meeting was boosting the “faith and hope” of Chaldeans both in Iraq and those living in diaspora around the world, setting the focus on the gospel teachings for “human, spiritual, and national awakening” in the face of the many challenges and risks the community faces.

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