萨科枢机愿"希望薪火照耀伊拉克基督徒的圣诞"
巴格达（亚洲新闻）-将临期之际，伊拉克加尔丁礼巴比伦宗主教萨科枢机发表圣诞文告，要求"敲响"了基督徒的门；邀请他们以亚巴郎为榜样，在"痛苦、焦虑与巨大挑战"面前"鼓起勇气"、"坚忍不拔"。在此国内少数派宗教团体所处的艰难时刻，新宗主教在他当选后第一篇圣诞文告中希望圣诞节成为"真正生活计划"的主题，从中汲取勇敢前进的力量。
文告，宗主教还邀请穆斯林"兄弟"共同合作、为国家开启真正"和平计划"。因为"福音的喜讯是给所有人的"。萨科枢机强烈希望结束暴力、用对话的逻辑取代暴力，从而开启名副其实的民族和解。最后，宗主教感谢整个团体以亚巴郎为榜样满怀"勇气"和坚忍"见证"希望的薪火"。
伊拉克加尔丁礼巴比伦宗主教萨科枢机圣诞文告如下：
Sisters and Brothers,
Here I am knocking your doors on this Christmas Eve, to tell you, in the midst of your suffering, anxiety and the considerable challenges you face: "Glory to God in the highest and peace on Earth".
I am sure of your belief, prayer, and firmness. Thank you for your perseverance, as you are still carrying courageously the flame of hope as on the example of our father Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was one, and you are many; he became the father of all believers because of his confidence and fidelity till the end.
The message of Christmas is not just a wish, but a title of a real vital project that is achieved only by the one who understands it and finds in it his delight, and courage to go further. He who stops upon the frustrating circumstances and bemoans the old days is making a fatal error. The one, who enters to the depth of events, will discover a new call, new signs of hope for new life. If the young rich man, who met Jesus, had sold everything with joy, he would have feasted and got freedom and peace, and wouldn't have "gone sad" (Luke, 18:18-23).
The question before us today is: "What will be the implications of this feast on us, our families, our Church and our country? Shall we renew our determination to carry the joyful message of the Angels which we, the Chaldeans, begin our daily prayers with, through our prayers, love, service and witnessing to our Faith and our values at home, school and work, by being the shepherds who repeat what they've heard, and the visiting Magi, and a star that stands 'above where the boy was', guiding other people to Him?
To all of you I offer my gratitude for your dedication to your church, you're sticking to your land, and your steadfastness in front of difficulties with true hope and great testimony. Christmas as pope Francis said is a meeting.
On this occasion I am happy to call on our fellow Muslims to join the peace project, because the good news of Christmas is for all. I invite them to work together to stop the logic of violence, fighting and attacks, and to adopt the logic of dialogue to achieve peace, stability, freedom, dignity and justice in our countries enflamed by conflicts.
Blessed is your feast, and hopefully every year will come will be filled with goodness, and safety and prosperous to Iraq.
