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Father Rebwar Basa, parish priest of Essen, Germany, reflects on the hopes, expectations and concerns of the thousands of Iraqi / Chaldean Catholics in the diaspora who are unable to travel to their homeland due to the pandemic, but who nevertheless hope with joy the apostolic visit of Pope Francis. to Iraq, which starts on Friday.
By Vatican News Editor
Pope Francis’ apostolic trip to Iraq is scheduled for March 5-8. This historic and first papal visit to the Middle Eastern country marks the Holy Father’s first overseas trip after a 15-month gap due to the current Covid-19 health emergency. Many people hope that the Pope’s presence will bring much-needed hope to the country’s besieged Christian communities and be an occasion to further promote interfaith efforts.
Iraq-born Father Rebwar Basa is in charge of the pastoral care of approximately 1,300 Iraqi / Chaldean Christian families in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. He is one of five priests who serve the more than 8,000 Iraqi families in Germany. Many of these families had to flee their country to save themselves from war and persecution. In June 2020, Fr. Basa’s community in Essen moved from the Chaldean parish of St. Addai and St. Mari to St. Nikolaus.
Father Basa is also the author of “A Catholic Priest in the Islamic State,” a biography of Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni, who, along with three subdeacons, was killed by gunmen in a Chaldean Catholic parish in Mosul in 2007.
As Iraqi Christians prepare to receive the Holy Father on Friday, Father Basa reflects on the importance of the Pope’s visit to Iraq and the hopes of Iraqi Christian communities in the diaspora.
Anticipation with joy and concern.
Father Basa said that he shares the joy of the Iraqi Christian communities in Germany who are looking forward to the Pope’s visit to Iraq, especially since this is the first visit of a Pontiff to the land of Mesopotamia. However, while expressing the community’s desire to be physically present in Iraq for the visit, he blames the Covid-19 pandemic situation and its consequent travel restrictions for the community’s inability to be there. The many Iraqi Christians who cannot travel will have to follow the Pope’s visit on television or by other means.
At the same time, however, he expresses concern about the situation of instability in the country during the Pope’s visit, noting that “there are so many conflicts, so many problems, so many militias and every day there are attacks, missiles that are launched here and there. “
“We accompany him with our prayers and we pray to the Lord so that the Holy Father, as the messenger of peace, can bring much peace to Iraq and may go in peace and return in peace from Iraq,” said Fr Basa.
He also expressed his hope that the Pope’s visit could open a “path of dialogue, of great will to rebuild Iraq” so that it can come out of its conflicts and begin “an era of peace and brotherhood.”
A country of historic faith amid trials
P. Basa says that Iraqi Christians are indigenous peoples, who trace their faith to the first centuries of Christianity thanks to the evangelization of the Apostle Saint Thomas. He points out that this faith continues even in modern times.
Unfortunately, this historic Christian community has been greatly diminished due to the wars and persecution suffered under the rule of the so-called Islamic State between 2014 and 2017, during which thousands of people died and hundreds of thousands more were forced to flee their homes. homes. .
Fr Basa notes, however, that the lives of Iraqi Christians in Erbil and northern Iraq in recent times have been quite stable and can serve as a welcoming community for other Christians.
“In the city of Erbil alone, Christians have taken in about 120,000 Christian brothers,” he said.
Fr Basa also acknowledges the relief efforts of the international community, aid organizations and the Church, and the Holy Father, in particular, to the city of Erbil, as well as the Church in northern Iraq. Their contributions went a long way in helping them to welcome these Christians and to live “a dignified life, despite the persecution and the situation in which they lived.”
Far away, but united in solidarity and unity
In light of the difficulties experienced by the Church in Iraq, it is often necessary to provide support, both spiritual and otherwise, to Christian communities.
As Iraqis, Fr Basa stated, “Iraq and our Church in Iraq are at the center of our lives. We always remember Iraq in our prayers, at Masses and we pray for peace ”.
After prayer comes concrete help, continued Fr. Basa. “Many times, as a community, we collect funds to help those in need in Iraq.” He added that the Christian community in Essen recently supported a new diocese in Iran; And even on a personal level, many families come to him to donate “something” to families in difficulty in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
“Our Christians here in the parish and in the missions that we have here in Germany are always in solidarity and unity with Iraq, with the Church and its people”, p. Basa said.
