Christmas: Chaldeans in Iraq and worldwide fast and pray for peace

The initiative promoted by the primate between 21 and 23 December. Auxiliary of Baghdad: gesture of "solidarity" with those who suffer, with a thought for "migrants and displaced people". From the patriarchate hundreds of food baskets for the needy. The new premier declares Christmas an 'official holiday' for all Iraqis. From al-Sistani a call for solidarity and coexistence. 

Baghdad (AsiaNews) - "From Baghdad to Ukraine we want to invite to prayer" the entire Chaldean Church in Iraq and in the diaspora "as a sign of solidarity with the people who suffer in every corner of the earth, for those who have nowhere to live, thinking also of migrants and displaced people," says Msgr Basil Yaldo, Auxiliary of Baghdad and close collaborator of the Chaldean Primate Louis Raphael Sako, speaking with AsiaNews ahead of three days of fasting and prayer called by the Patriarchate and the local Church in preparation for Christmas.

In the meantime, newly appointed Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sudani has declared the day celebrating the birth of Jesus an 'official holiday' for all Iraqis, regardless of their professed faith.

The Chaldean Primate released a message on the Patriarchate's website inviting the faithful around the world to fast and pray for three days (21, 22, and 23 December) for peace in Iraq and in the world on Christmas Day.

The birth of Christ, Card. Sako, "is not just a celebration of a past memory" of 2,000 years ago, but is an event that is present and full of meaning even today. Although celebrated "with folklore", the occasion is "awareness and faith" of the continuing "presence of God among us", an "eternal presence of love and mercy" in view of which "we must prepare ourselves with a fast".

In our days, fasting and prayer are a "special" way of being close to those most in need, among whom the cardinal recalls the families forced to leave a reception centre in Baghdad. "It is necessary to fast, concentrating more on prayer, repentance, abstaining from eating meat and fish, from drinking alcohol, and above all from vices".

He criticises 'false talk, anger, envy, pride, greed' to which he contrasts the importance of symbolic gestures such as 'acts of righteousness, goodness and charity'. The decision to allocate over 32,000 euro "to the needy in the Baghdad diocese and to Caritas, which is providing 800 baskets of food free of charge," is part of this.

"The situation in Iraq and in the world," explains the Baghdad auxiliary, "is critical, we need stability with the new government, even if small signs of improvement have been seen in recent weeks.

These are concepts that we have emphasised in the past few days in the meeting with the premier, hoping for maximum commitment for the good of a country that has been suffering for 20 years. We have decided to pray and fast, in the hope that this new year, 2023, will indeed be one of peace and tranquillity for all'.

In response, the head of government assured that he 'intends to do his best for Iraqis, including Christians. And Patriarch Sako, Msgr. Yaldo pointed out, "reiterated that attention must be paid to everyone and that no differences must be made, working in particular on behalf of young people to give them a future."

Finally, the auxiliary of Baghdad turned his thoughts to the displaced Christians, especially those who were hosted in the Virgin Mary refugee camp in Zayouna, Baghdad. "We have met them," the prelate concludes, "and set up some rooms for them in a former seminary in the capital, at least 15 families are preparing to move. As a patriarchate, we are doing our utmost for them." 

Lastly, a call for dialogue between faiths and prayer for peace has also come in recent days from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the country's highest Shiite authority. Meeting with a senior UN official, the religious leader stressed 'the importance of multiplying efforts to promote the culture of peaceful coexistence, to fight against hatred and to uphold values based on solidarity and attention to reciprocal rights, while respecting different faiths'.