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His Eminence paying pastoral visit to St. Behnam, Sacramento, and St. Elias, Chico, Congregations

By his pastoral visit to St. Behnam, Sacramento, on Saturday 26, 2014, and St. Elias, Chico, congregations, on Sunday 27, 2014, His Eminence expressed his concern on the suffering body of Christ, our brothers and sisters in Iraq, where the last Christian has been expelled from Mosul. The light of religious freedom, along with the entire Christian presence, has been extinguished in the Bible’s “great city of Nineveh (modern-Mosul” – the center of Christianity in Iraq for two millennia. This follows the uncompromising ultimatum by the jihadists movement of ISIS to convert or die.

In both churches in his sermons, the Archbishop expressed his profound anguish, saying: “… Our brothers and sisters, the suffering Body of our Lord in Iraq, are persecuted, they are cast out and forced to leave their homes without having the chance to take anything with them, Christ is suffering within His sacred Body members in Iraq... before pitilessly exiling the Christians on foot, ISIS stole everything they had: homes, businesses, cars, money and even wedding rings, sometimes with the ring fingers attached. Most churches have been destroyed, shuttered or turned into mosques...” The Archbishop then called for prayers, contributions and constructive efforts for Iraqi Christians and lasting Global Peace.

Joining to His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II. decision, His Eminence Mor Clemis Eugene, expressed at most concern on the situation of Christians in Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria, by writing to all churches of the Western Archdiocese asking for special prayers to be held on coming Sunday August 3, 2014, and participate in the suffering Body of Christ in Iraq, by their prayers and contributions, and calling the global community to be constructive and continues efforts to restore peace and justice to be served to all people regardless of religion and ethnicity... His Eminence also stated that religious freedom, right to worship and to follow ones belief is one of the basic factors that determine human rights...ISIS has taken a sledgehammer to the tomb of Jonah, replaced the cross with the black Islamic flag on top of Mosul’s St Ephrem cathedral, and beheaded or crucified any Muslim who dared to dissent... as Christians we have to endure suffering for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… we are in the beginning of the end according to the signs written in the Holy Bible…”

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. The world needs to wake up urgently to the plight of the ancient churches throughout the region who are faced with the threat of mass murder and mass displacement. The UN claims it has “a duty to protect”, while Article 18 of the 1948 universal Declaration of Human Rights, born in the embers of the Holocaust, insists that each of us must be free to follow our own beliefs.
The religious cleansing and unspeakable bigotry at work in Mosul makes hateful mockery of both.

The Archbishop requests continue prayers and genuine efforts from all Christian churches and global sections of the human right, United Nations and to the Western society to make the world a better place to live.

In both churches, there was a dinner prepared after the Divine Liturgy which held by His Eminence and assisted by very Rev. Fr. Youhanna Salamah.

In Chico, His Eminence formed a new Parish Council to administer the congregation.

Let us pray and united stand for world peace.