As Middle East Christians migrate, Chaldean patriarch offers to merge Churches

Rome Reports ^ | October 19, 2013

[NYer]

October 19, 2013. (Romereports.com) Years before turmoil in Egypt and Syria, turmoil swept Iraq, following a U.S.-led invasion that toppled Sadam Hussein. A period of sectarian violence replaced his dictatorship. Suffering became an everyday struggle for the nation's Christians.   

LOUIS RAPHAEL I SAKO 

Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon

“Christians normally are educated to live in freedom and peace and where there is no freedom and no peace they leave and they look for a shelter to educate their children and also to live our their faith.” 

Numbers for the centuries-old Chaldean Catholic Church explains just how bad things have deteriorated. In 1987, they claimed over 1.2 million adherents. Today, only 500,000 remain. The worse part is those numbers continue dropping. 

LOUIS RAPHAEL I SAKO 

Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon 

“The majority left and we feel much more vulnerable now. But we still hope that the situation will change. And security and stability will come back.” 

But until that happens, Patriarch Louis Sako said his Church, and many other smaller congregations throughout the Middle East, must fend for themselves. 

Recently, the Patriarch reached out to his Orthodox counterpart, Mar Dinkha IV, patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East. He proposed a merger of their two Churches, which trace their roots to Iraq. It would mean the Assyrian Church would enter into communion with Rome. 

LOUIS RAPHAEL I SAKO 

Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon 

“If we are still isolated, just like small churches, we are really incapable to do anything. But when we are united all together, then we will be a stronger Church and we will have an impact.” 

The Assyrian patriarch has welcomed increased dialogue between their two Churches. But a merger may not be on the horizon anytime soon. 

But for Patriarch Sako greater cooperation is necessary for their Churches survival. He also welcomes the creation of a Christian lobby group to analyze their situation and come up with solutions to survive the current crisis. 

[NYer]

Ping!

[GreyFriar]

ping

[SevenofNine]

Welcome to da hood Patriach Hopefully

[zot]

This is what Islam does.

[Verginius Rufus]

Reportedly both churches descend from the so-called Nestorians and separated in 1552. The Chaldean Church is in communion with Rome, so if they reunite they both would be.

There is a third church, the Ancient Church of the East, which broke from the Assyian Church in 1964 when that church decided to switch to the Gregorian calendar. Apparently they have decided to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, the same day as the Assyrians and Chaldeans, but will continue to calculate Easter by the Julian calendar. Possibly they will reunite with the Assyrians.

The foregoing information is from Wikipedia so treat it with the usual caution owed something from that source.

[Cronos]

This was once one of the largest Churches in the world -- in the 9th century it had more adherents than to the Western Patriarchate or to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and it stretched from Iraq to Mongolia and Kerala (India) and China.

There is a very detailed book in German that illustrates this, let me get back to you with the English translation's name

[zot]

Thanks for the ping.