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Janine di Giovanni made a tour of the shrinking Christian communities of the Middle East. In this extract from her new book, she charts the arrival of the Islamic State in Iraq in 2014
BAGHDAD: In the sacristy of St. Joseph’s Chaldean Cathedral in Baghdad’s Karrada district, Rev. Nadhir Dako lets out a tired sigh. Not only has he and his team of volunteers been working hard to prepare for the arrival of Pope Francis, he is also weary of the growing hardship faced by Iraqis in general and the Christian community in particular. “There are no more than 150 families of faithful left” in his parish, Dako told Arab News. “All the others fled to Jordan, Turkey or Europe, and no one has been able to return because of the economic crisis or because the armed militias seize...
Published on: Tuesday, March 02, 2021 By: AFP Text Size: A sign welcoming Pope Francis hangs outside the Syriac Catholic Church of Mar Thoma (St Thomas), in the predominantly Christian town of Qaraqosh (Baghdeda), in Nineveh province. BAGHDAD: Pope Francis is to start the first-ever papal visit to Iraq on Friday, an act of solidarity with an ancient but dwindling Christian community and a symbolic outreach to Muslims. The trip comes as Iraq, ravaged by decades of conflict, faces a second deadly wave of coronavirus infections and renewed violence. Persecution has already slashed the country...
published : 1 Mar 2021 at 09:45 The visit of Pope Francis will be the first ever papal trip to Iraq. BAGHDAD: Pope Francis is to start the first-ever papal visit to Iraq on Friday, an act of solidarity with an ancient but dwindling Christian community and a symbolic outreach to Muslims. The trip comes as Iraq, ravaged by decades of conflict, faces a second deadly wave of coronavirus infections and renewed violence. Persecution has already slashed the country's Christian community -- one of the world's oldest -- from 1.5 million in 2003 to just...