Bell Rings Out from Catholic Cathedral in Mosul for the First Time Since ISIS Occupation

Catholic News Agency ^ | 11/15/22 | Courtney Mares, Rody Sher

[marshmallow]

CNA Newsroom, Nov 15, 2022 / 08:25 am A church bell that was kept hidden by a Muslim family during the Islamic State’s occupation of Mosul rang out above St. Paul’s Chaldean Catholic Cathedral on Sunday for the first time in eight years.

Christians from across Iraq’s Nineveh Plain came to the cathedral to participate in the bell-ringing ceremony and Divine Liturgy on Nov. 13.

Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel, OP, the Chaldean archbishop of Mosul and Akra, led a procession to the grotto of the Virgin Mary, the patroness of Mosul, in the church courtyard before ceremoniously ringing the bell.

The archbishop told ACI Mena, Catholic News Agency’s Arabic-language news partner, that “the tones of the bell are an invitation … to unite hearts to denounce violence and wars.”

“We hope that all the original residents will return to their homes and return to their material and moral rights to taste the taste of safety and stability and live in the bosom of their city,” Michaeel said.

The Cathedral of St. Paul reopened in 2019 after suffering damage during the Islamic State’s occupation of Mosul from 2014 to 2017.

[married21]

Thanks for this positive news.

[Cronos]

Great news