MIDDLE EAST (ACN News): Middle East patriarchs and bishops should “speak directly and openly” with Pope Benedict XVI about their fears that Christianity in the region is at risk of fading away, a Church leader in Iraq said.
In an assessment of the bleak situation facing the Church in the birthplace of Christianity, Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk said Christian leaders meeting with the Pope in Lebanon this weekend (September 14-16) should “go beyond the formalities” to spell out their concerns for the survival of the faith there.
In a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need nine days before the Pontiff’s landmark trip, Archbishop Sako underlined the extent of the Christian exodus from the Middle East, saying it showed no sign of stopping and had spread from Iraq to other countries, notably Syria.
He said that, despite considerable political discussion about democracy and freedom, extremism and sectarianism were growing and that in response Christians were leaving the region which had been home to their families for thousands of years.
“The rise of political Islam is a matter of worry,” Archbishop Sako wrote.
“We Christians are a minority and there is no prospect of us gaining equal citizenship in the concrete reality of day-to-day life and there is no vision of a better future.
“Everyone is speaking of democracy and freedom but the reality on the ground is different.
“The sectarianism is gaining ground and the majority are not taking care of minority groups. I think there are real fears of more Christians leaving.”
Archbishop Sako highlighted the violence against Christians in Iraq, peaking in the years immediately after the 2003 fall of President Saddam Hussein, with attacks on dozens of churches and a mass exodus of more than half the Christian faithful.
Underlining the need for straight talking with Pope Benedict during his visit to Lebanon, Archbishop Sako said: “The patriarchs and the bishops should go beyond the formalities to speak directly and openly with him about their fears and concerns. We should make clear our worries and the challenges ahead.”
He described the difficulty of encouraging faithful in his diocese of Kirkuk to stay, saying many if not most had left.
Stressing the impact of continuing conflict, including the crisis in Syria, he wrote: “From my diocese there are few families left.
“I cannot stop them (leaving) and speaking truthfully I have no magic solutions.
“I am doing my best to keep them, defend them and encourage them. That has limited the problem but it is sad to see them leaving for good.
“As a pastor, I feel bad.”
Explaining their reasons for emigrating, he wrote: “The policy of the state is based on Islam and so the Christians feel they are second-class citizens.”
Archbishop Sako called for the development of what he called a “Christian Arab theology” focused around the cultural traditions of the Middle East, and responsive to the faithful’s “concrete situation” dominated by the need for co-existence with majority Muslim groups.
“It is necessary today to develop a Christian Arab theology able to announce the word of God to Arab Christians – and those who are not Christians – and help them to discover God’s love and paternal presence, enhancing dialogue and strengthening co-existence,” he wrote.
“This theology does not mean isolation from the theology of the universal Church but rather one which interacts with events and hence assists the Oriental Church with its mission.”
Archbishop Sako called on the international community to prioritise human rights and initiatives designed to encourage minority groups to stay in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Catholic News Service reported that less than a week before travelling to Lebanon, Pope Benedict voiced solidarity with victims of war in the Middle East and called for continuing efforts to bring peace to the region.
“I understand the anguish of the many Middle Eastern people who are every day immersed in sufferings of every kind,” the Pope said.
He expressed concern specifically for those who, “in search of a peaceful place, leave their family and professional life and experience the precariousness of being exiles”.
“We must not resign ourselves to the violence and aggravation of tensions,” the Pope said.
“Commitment to dialogue and reconciliation should be a priority for all the parties involved, and should be supported by the international community.”
Pope Benedict is visiting Lebanon to present his document of reflections on the 2010 special Synod of Bishops, which was dedicated to Christians in the Middle East.
