That candle lit in Erbil

A trail of light crossed Erbil. Over the past months this city in Iraqi Kurdistan has become the destination of thousands of Christian refugees, given asylum and protection from the strife of Islamic rebels. Past Saturday thousands joined a silent walk holding lit candles, illuminating the darkness enveloping this world region with the light of peace, for one night. The procession was held along the roads of Ankawa, a Christian majority neighbourhood of the city of Erbil. The faithful gathered before the “Mar Youssef” Cathedral in Erbil to the sound of Marian chants, carrying Mary’s statue up to Virgin Square. This was the moment of tears and prayers, the most moving part of the “pilgrimage” to Erbil of one hundred faithful from the French diocese of Lyon to Erbil, December 6-7. Artisans of peace. Forty-eight hours in the land of Iraq on a visit to the refugees, many of whom have come here from Qaraqosh the night of August 6, escaping the aggression of the jihadists. The volunteers – among them were also doctors – brought aids as well as the letters and drawings of school children in Lyon encouraging their friends in Erbil “not to give up”, to “hold steady” and never renounce their hope to return to their homes one day. Intense moments of sharing and hugs, experienced to witness the closeness and the brotherhood of Europe to the population of this ancient Christian region in the Middle East. “What we miss the most is your closeness. We want to be sure we will not be forgoteen!” the Patriarch of the Chaldeans Louis-Raphaël I Sako said to the archbishop of Lyon Cardinal Philippe Barbarin. The diocese of Lyon immediately concretized this invitation by promoting a twinning with the diocese of Mosul – in July – at a time when dozens of thousands of people are displaced and the winter is growing harsh. “It is our belief that in those same places whence come relentless images of hatred the artisans of peace may come forward and ‘light a lamp, instead of cursing the darkness’, with the awareness of being too small, and that the stakes are too high. We entrust ourselves to the ‘Prince of Peace’, as Isaiah says of the Child whom we celebrate at Christmas. He too, is born away from home” said Cardinal Philippe Barbarin. Crowds of Christians and refugees. The Pope delivered a video-message to tens of thousand of displaced Iraqi Christians and refugees gathered in Erbil, transmitted on a large screen. “I too would like to be there with you, but since I am unable to travel, I will do this instead… I am very close to you in these difficult moments”. He added: “when the wind rises and the storm comes, the rod bends but it does not break. At the moment, you are like this rod: you bend painfully, but you have the strength to carry forth your faith, which is a testimony to us. You are God’s rod today! The rods that bend under this ferocious wind, but then rise up again!” Catholic welcome. The Church of France has taken seriously the fate of Christians in the Middle East. A Mass for peace and for persecuted Christians was celebrated Sunday in the cathedral Notre-Dame of Paris, “our brothers of the Eastern Churches – said Cardinal Andrée Vingt-Trois – experiencing this major ordeal”. In July, ministers Laurent Fabius and Bernard Cazeneuvel on the behalf of the French government, declared that the Country would offer asylum to Iraqi Christians fleeing from Mosul, after the city was captured by Isis militants. Many, patriarch Sako in particular, said that this offer was to be read as an act of generosity on the part of the French government and not as an encouragement to Christians to abandon their lands. But in fact, the escalation of the war in Syria and Iraq have inevitably driven people to leave their homes and many have found refuge in France. In order to help public institutions and volunteering associations in the efforts to coordinate the arrivals of refugees – from reception to assistance to children, to French language courses – in October the French Church set up a platform, the Catholic Committee for the Reception of Eastern Christians Refugees which Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch has been appointed to guide. “It’s not easy for people to leave their homes, their roots and their land – Gollnisch said -. These families in flight had to leave because they have remained faithful to their faith and it is our precise duty to accompany them through this painful process”.