Catholic World News
March 23 2005
Iraq: Easter under curfew
Baghdad, Mar. 23 (FIDES/CWNews.com) – Christians in Iraq will
celebrate Easter under a curfew, the Fides news service reports.
Chaldean, Armenian, Syrian and Latin Catholics in Baghdad will
celebrate Holy Week in a climate of apparent calm, but in a constant
state of tension and fear of violence and attacks.
A lay Catholic in Baghdad told Fides about the situation: “Services
for Holy Week and Easter will be in the mornings only because of the
curfew. This means we cannot hold the Easter Vigil Mass at night and
Easter will be very quiet. Many families are too afraid to go to
church. For us the situation is calm; there is tension among Muslim
groups but it does not affect Christians. However violence affects
everyone and is the cause of fear.”
“In northern Iraq it was a tradition for Catholics to take part in
Holy Week services at the various ancient Chaldean and Syrian
monasteries. But today most people are too afraid to go anywhere, or
let their children go to church. There will be less people at
services on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. People know their lives
are in danger all the time and this is deeply worrying. Even the
bishops fear violence and many prefer to live somewhere else rather
than at the bishop’s residence or the church.
“Nevertheless our hope was strengthened at the sight of smiling
children waving palms and singing on Palm Sunday in Baghdad. We hope
they will live in democracy, serenity, social harmony, freedom of
expression and religion. This is our prayer for Easter.”