We are the Christians of Iraq

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
15 Nov 2010

The words of Father Albert Hisham Naoum, an Iraqi priest:

The martyrs of the Church of Our Lady of Salvation have shown 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.

The blood of our fallen heroes cries out to the world and all humanity, and urges Christians of Iraq, wherever we are, to "preach" to the world the suffering and risen Christ who lives in our wounded land.

Iraq's Christians have deeply experienced the meaning of life because they have lived through joy after having tasted the bitterness of grief; they have lived in hope after experiencing the power of tragedy; they have experienced laughter after having paid with tears, and they have smiled after seeing the will broken by violence. These are the real Christians of Iraq.

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, 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 body while they were lying on the floor, and that he died in a hail of bullets so the child would survive?!

Have you heard that the killers murdered a baby of 4 months, a child of 4 years and a young woman who on the day of her death had received the best of news, namely that she was pregnant, and so went to church to thank the Lord for this gift?!

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