Constructing the future

On September 5th the IV gathering of Chaldean priests serving the respective communities in Europe closes in Kamena Vourla, Greece. The priests attending the meeting arrived from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Belgium and Greece, while priests from Austria, England and Georgia were absent. Major pastoral issues experienced by Chaldean-rite communities living in a state of diaspora (some 90 thousand faithful, 50 thousand of whom live in the Scandinavian Countries and in France, 1000 in Germany and 800 in The Netherlands), along with social and cultural integration, emigration from Iraq, vocational and youth pastoral care, were among the issues addressed. The spiritual retreat was possible also thanks to the hospitality of Msgr. Dimitrios Salachas, from the Byzantine Catholic exarchate of Athens and was presided over by Msgr. Philip Najim, Chaldean representative at the Holy See and Apostolic Visitor for Europe. SIR Europe interviewed him. Father Najim, what are the main difficulties, linked to the pastoral life of Chaldean Communities in Europe, brought up during the meeting? “The experiences shared by the priests attending the meeting showed that the social, religious and cultural integration of the faithful of Chaldean rite in their respective Countries, along with the need to establish pastoral care for vocations, for the youth and immigration, that risks leading to the disappearance of Christians in Iraq, are the major reasons for concern. There are 19 Chaldean priests in Europe. We serve a foreign people in a foreign Country. This is a two-fold difficulty since we must integrate ourselves in order to serve our community and enable their integration. In addition to this, we ought to help them overcome difficulties linked to different languages, mentality, traditions and cultures. Fortunately, most Chaldean priests are young, which in this context is a bonus”. What are your plans for the youth?“As relates to the youth, I believe they represent the future of our parishes. We plan to establish a pastoral team that will be responsible for projects and initiatives for the youth that can also be conducted at a distance by the priests”. The future doesn’t only repose in the young generations. It also reposes in the vocations…“A weak spot is the lack of priests who could assist those actively present in European Chaldean communities. This is why we decided to establish a team of experts led by the former director of a seminary, Father Sami, and by a spiritualist, a parish priest from The Netherlands, Father Razi. They have the task of drawing up a plan to promote the development of Chaldean vocations in Europe. Local churches will have the task of following the youth in their progress towards priesthood”. Do you believe there is a concrete risk that these Chaldean communities may in the long run loose their identity and their tradition? “It is necessary to ensure the future of the Chaldean Church and that of our communities. The Chaldean faithful of the diaspora ought to be ensured that their traditions will be preserved. Supporting the Chaldean identity in Europe can also serve to step up the Christian and Catholic testimony in the Old Continent, especially in this moment marked by laicist trends that aim at confining faith within the private sphere. During my visits to many of these communities, I noted a strong attachment to faith, to their culture and identity, and to their Country of origin, Iraq”. This attachment is sadly undermined in Iraq where sectarian violence, instability and lack of security compel Christians to leave the Country… “Christian emigration is a worrying phenomenon. Many sell all their belongings and leave the Country. They obviously don’t intend to return. Before reaching Europe, they stay in precarious conditions in Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. We ought to be ready to grant them hospitality. However, as Chaldean priests in Europe, we discourage the flight from Iraq and exhort the international community, Europe first, to work for the recovery of stability and security, that are crucial to the Country’s future. Iraq needs Christians. While those who have been living in the Old Continent for a long time, we demand that the European hosting Countries regulate their legal status. This would enable them to hope in a serene future”.