Patriarch appeals for success of advance on Mosul

As the Iraqi army began an offensive to retake the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS) last week, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch appealed for national unity and for the success of the military offensive.

The city fell under IS control in 2014. Louis Raphael I Sako of Baghdad appealed for prayers, saying: “I pray that God may protect us, shorten our suffering, preserve the purity of our human kinship, and watch over the unity of our beloved country.” He expressed concern over “voices of division” in Iraq, calling for a “genuine and civil democracy that respects everyone”.

The patriarch, head of the largest Christian community in Iraq, noted that Mosul, situated near the Nineveh Plain, is one of the country’s most important historic cities. He and other bishops feel that if Mosul is recaptured from Islamic State it could pave the way for the return of Iraqi Christians to their ancient homelands in Nineveh. Christians were forced to flee towns and villages there two years ago, and their return is crucial if the Church in Iraq is to survive long-term.

Last week, Iraqi special units captured Baratella, a Christian village north of the Christian town of Qaraqosh, where they were also conducting mopping-up operations. A bell was rung from the tower of the ransacked Mart Shmony Syriac Orthodox church in Baratella for the first time since the takeover by Islamic State.

The Pope called for an end to bloodshed in Mosul during his Angelus prayer on Sunday. Francis said he was shocked by the “heinous acts” perpetrated against innocent citizens with reports that IS has used civilians as human shields. “In these dramatic hours, I am close to the entire population of Iraq, especially that of the city of Mosul,” the Pope told the crowd of 50,000 in St Peter’s Square. “I was saddened to hear news of the killing – in cold blood – of many sons and daughters of that beloved land, including many children. This cruelty makes us weep, leaving us without words.”