Midnight Masses Canceled in Iraq Because of Growing Security Concerns

Catholic News Service ^ | 12/22/11

[marshmallow]

LONDON (CNS) -- Chaldean Catholic officials have canceled traditional Christmas Eve midnight Masses because of security risks.

Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk in northern Iraq told the agency Aid to the Church in Need that Christians will spend Christmas in "great fear" because of the risk of new attacks.

All services and Masses have been scheduled for daylight hours, he said in an interview with Rome-based AsiaNews.

"Midnight Christmas Mass has been canceled in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk as a consequence of the never-ending assassinations of Christians," he said, citing the Oct. 31, 2010, attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral that left 57 people dead in the Iraqi capital.

Archbishop Sako also expressed concern over the growing conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims vying for political power. He said the conflict has led to growing instability, especially in the days since the pullout of U.S. military troops in mid-December.

The archbishop's concerns follow a series of incidents in the northern province of Kurdistan, which had been considered safe haven for Christians.

In Erbil, Kurdistan's capital, Christian Sermat Patros, 29 was kidnapped Dec. 12. Between Dec. 2 and Dec. 5, at least 30 Christian-owned businesses were torched in Zakho near the Turkish border. A Christian couple also was found shot dead in their car Dec. 13 in Mosul.

[Doogle]

of course it is, Odumbo has kept his promise.

[omega4179]

What are they afraid of? we spread duhmocracy to their country. ingrates.

[Bryanw92]

The faith of these Christians is incredible. When I hear members of my own church complaining because the temperature is wrong, the Pastor’s message is “confusing”, or a member of the choir is off-key, I feel sorry for us and wonder what they’ll do if/when religious persecution comes to America.

[IbJensen]

No problem at mosques in America, but soon the problems at Christian churches here will greatly increase.

[Future Snake Eater]

That's one of those (non-combat) images I'll always have in my head: my Company was tasked with a route security mission on Christmas on the east side of Baghdad. We got the ball rolling around 0200 on Christmas morning and were finally rolling around 0500. We drove right through downtown Baghdad, and the streets were still completely empty (Christmas IS just another day, after all). The only exception was a line of people going in to a small building tucked away between two much larger buildings. I honestly don't remember seeing anything 100% outwardly indicative that it was a church, but it was clear that these people were Christians going to celebrate Christmas in the middle of a violent Muslim city (and this was Christmas 2006, back when Baghdad was in real dire shape).

[gitmogrunt]

Imho... time has come to shut down the mosques in America and end the double standard.

[rzman21]

Back in February 2003 I attended a meeting with Karl Rove where I asked him about the threat posed to the Christians by the then pending invasion of Iraq.

He told me there wasn’t anything to fear because the Iraqis “were a highly educated people” and that they would greet us as liberators.

Saddam might have been a thug, but his regime treated Christians with far more dignity than just about any other thuggish regime in the region. He even built Churches for the Catholics.