A Church built on Rock will never Waver
Dr. Subhi Zora* – Solihull, Birmingham – UK
The Chaldean Church of the East, under the leadership of His Eminence, Cardinal Louis Sako, the Patriarch of the Chaldeans in Iraq and all over the world, has for some time been subjected to some brutal, direct and indirect media attacks from some individuals and groups inside and outside Iraq.
These futile attempts aim primarily at seriously destroying the church and her long tradition of keeping the faith alive in the lands of Mesopotamia, the lands between the two great rivers of the Tigris and the Euphrates. The reasons for these attacks are obvious; mainly to tarnish the Church’s reputation as a successful and progressively flourishing Christian institution that has survived throughout the turbulent times of her existence both in Iraq and in the Middle East in general.
This great church, throughout her long and rich history, had given and is still giving hundreds of learned scholars, saints and martyrs. Her history in Mesopotamia goes back to the early centuries of Christianity when it had been originally established by the immediate disciples of Saint Thomas, the apostle, namely Saints Addai and Mari. From her start, the Church was connected to the Apostles so she is wholly apostolic in essence, nature and tradition, and also being part of and closely connected to Saint Peter’s (The Rock) Catholic tradition in Rome. She has been a pillar among other Christian Eastern churches and traditions. She and all those other traditions have faced in their long histories various evil attempts by rulers, invaders and criminals and by haters from other religious and non-religious groups. Many of these attempts sadly resulted in the martyrdom of many of their Christian believers, leaders and scholars and in the destruction of a great number of their monasteries, convents and churches. All these attempts, however, failed to eradicate or even weaken the faith and the determination of their faithful throughout the ages. The church had grown from strength to strength. She had continued to work among people, along with other traditions, spreading the faith of Jesus in the East and West, never relenting, never wavering and always thriving, even within the worst conditions and circumstances.
Nowadays, similar attacks are being launched day in day out against the church and her leaders. Evil and wickedness continue against the church, targeting specifically her most reverential leader, Cardinal Sako, his leadership and his attempts at continuing to serve the Chaldean tradition in the best possible way. What is sad though is that some of these attacks come from inside the faith, people who have certain agendas, some of whom ironically call themselves Chaldeans. I am wondering if these people do realise what they are doing! They are desperately attempting to destroy the Church and her leaders, with the ultimate aim of destabilising her from the inside and ending her existence as one of the main respectable churches of the East.
The Church’s Patriarch is a symbol of this church and is her main representative both nationally and internationally. He is a well-known, respected and most reverential figure. He has been appointed to lead this Church by her other leaders and endorsed by the Pope himself. In accusing him falsely of wrong doing these people are attacking not just him in person but the Church he leads as a whole and the faithful that he serves and represents.
We are certain that these attempts will eventually fail, the way that all other attempts of the past history had failed. These attempts are confronted by the tremendous solidarity with our Chaldean Patriarchate, from all over the world, along with national and international condemnation and indignation against them and their originators.
The reputation of the church and her traditions and leaders will never get shaken by a few mercenary attempts that will go back to slap their producers as futile attempts caused by modern day evil politics and hypocrisies.
We stand side by side with our Chaldean Church and her supreme leader, Patriarch Sako, with her assembly of Bishops, our pastors, and we support him in this crisis, asking the Lord Jesus to give him strength and wisdom to continue his mission to keep our Church strong and united, flourishing among and in communion with other local Catholic and non-Catholic churches and the Holy See in Rome.
* Member of the Chaldean community. Member of the International Catholic chaplaincy – UK
