Card Sako: a church in Ur open to Christians and Muslims in the sign of Abraham and the pope
The inauguration of a place of worship and pilgrimage four years after the papal visit sends a message. Both Christians and Muslims worry about the pontiff's health. A country’s cultural lasting heritage is a treasure that supports the economy. For the patriarch, the secular nature of the state remains a key issue; in the meantime, he appeals for an end to wars and extremist ideologies.
Baghdad (AsiaNews) – The imminent inauguration of a Church in Ur of the Chaldeans, four years after the visit of Pope Francis, is a "message" and a sign of "openness”, this according to Card Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans.
The site, he hopes, will become a place of pilgrimage for Iraqis and believers from all over the world, Christians and Muslims, for Abraham "is their common father,” the prelate told AsiaNews.
The opening was set for 6 March, the anniversary of the pope’s apostolic journey, but will instead “be held after Easter, after Ramadan and Lent.” This is also necessary because, the prime minister (Mohammed Shia al-Sudani) and other Muslim figures are expected to participate [in the ceremony], which is why we preferred to postpone it after the month of fasting and Islamic prayer.”
The church will be a landmark and a place of pilgrimage “like the Church of the Baptism on the Jordan River or the Abrahamic House in the United Arab Emirates,” the prelate explained. "Today, we need these signs and places to unite all humanity for they represent a meeting point for all religions.”
This church is “important for Iraq and Iraqis.” It is “a Christian 'sign' in a place with a huge Muslim majority, which will help others understand Christians and respect their faith, looking at the points of union and accepting the elements of diversity, to live in peace and stability.”
Four years after Pope Francis’s visit, his first apostolic journey abroad while COVID-19 pandemic was still raging, Iraq’s Catholic community is ready to inaugurate the Ibrahim Al-Khalil Church in Ur of the Chaldeans, named after Abraham (father of Jews, Christians and Muslims).
The church is part of a larger complex that rises in the desert plain, with a pyramidal shape; not only a place of worship, but also a religious, social and cultural facility closely linked to Francis and his message on the three great monotheistic religions who are affiliated with the prophet.
This will further encourage dialogue after the pope signed the Document on [Human] Fraternity in Abu Dhabi in 2019 with Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb of al-Azhar, the highest authority in Sunni Islam, and met, in Iraq, with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the foremost Shia cleric.
The place of worship is also intended to encourage Iraqi Christians, whose numbers have dwindled in the past 20 years, from around 1.5 million to just a few hundred thousand.
The building stands in an area of 10,000 square metres and includes a large room of 600 square metres and a 23-metre-high bell tower.
The church does not only intend to serve the Christian community, but is expected to attract tourists from all over the world, especially Christian pilgrims.
“Four years after the Pope's visit, everyone still remembers him,” Card Sako said. “He too, several times in the past, has said that Iraq is in his heart.”
The pontiff's health conditions are a source of anxiety not only among Christians, but also for Iraqi authorities and many Muslims.
“Two days ago, the prime minister called me asking about his conditions and wishing him a speedy recovery,” Sako said. “He enjoys great respect among the population. With his presence, he was able to change [at least in part] the mindset, strengthen coexistence, the sense of brotherhood, awareness that faith is a personal matter, while being part of the country represents a common good.”
The latter is a key issue in Iraq “and generally in the Middle East: from Syria and Lebanon to Iraq and Palestine, we must put an end to extremist and violent ideology, war, death, destruction. We must resort to soft diplomacy".
The Chaldean patriarch looks to other Arab nations for examples, including those in the Gulf, where “an extremist religious ideology is no longer; faith is at the base, but the regime, the system of government must be civilian. We must work to build the rule of law, justice, equality, in which respect and security are achieved.”
In addition, Iraq must promote its cultural and archaeological heritage, "the real black gold" as he likes to repeat, because "thanks to tourism and pilgrimages, it is possible to support the country's economy. One day oil will run out, but antiquities, treasures, if preserved, will remain.”
Promoting the country’s heritage, he warns, must be accompanied by a commitment to peace because "the many war fronts are worrisome and we do not know what will happen. Syria and Lebanon are also elements of uncertainty, although I hope we can continue on the path of political, national and economic construction.”
Returning to the church in Ur, the patriarch hopes that it can become "a sign of openness" and help "to reason and see [things] better. Here’s an example: Two days ago I published a book on Islam, how a Christian looks at the Muslim faith in the elements that bring us together as well as the points of divergence, the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, a chapter on the Virgin Mary.
“I intend to distribute it this Ramadan to provide them (Muslims) with the tools to better understand Christians who are not Nazarenes (or Nazoreans), a term that refers to a [1st-century AD] Jewish Christian sect. I try to open up the Muslim world and help it to think through how to interpret the sacred books, as we did with the exegesis of the text.”
Finally, Card Sako shares what worries everyone, “the pope and his health. Many have written to me in recent days, including Muslims, to underline how he represents a sign of hope, a light onto humanity for his farsightedness, humanity, and openness.”
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