Iraqi bishops seek $262m for post-IS ‘Marshall Plan’

Iraqi bishops seek $262m for post-IS ‘Marshall Plan’
Church leaders in northern Iraq are launching an ambitious US$262 million “Marshall Plan” for the reconstruction of Christian-majority villages devastated by the occupation of Islamic State (IS) jihadists – but knowing they could be subjected to attacks while they implement it. The ecumenical Bishops’ Emergency Committee (BEC) hopes to raise the . . . Read More

New Erbil university offers fresh hope for young lives disrupted by IS

The new Catholic University of Erbil offers displaced young people an opportunity to continue their education.
Displaced young Iraqis whose education was halted by Islamic State’s violent seizure of territory are receiving a vital opportunity to catch up and train for professional life, thanks to the local Catholic archdiocese and charitable donations. The Catholic University of Erbil (CUE) opened in October 2016 and has around 250 . . . Read More

Iraqi Archbishop ‘begs’ Britain to send in troops

The Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil – the city in Iraqi Kurdistan where thousands of Christians have fled to safety from Islamic State fighters -‘begged’ Britain to send troops to his country to help save Christians there from being wiped out. He said an estimated 125,000 Christians in northern Iraq have . . . Read More

First time in 1600 years no Mass said in Mosul, Iraq, says Chaldean Archbishop

First time in 1600 years no Mass said in Mosul, Iraq, says Chaldean Archbishop
The Chaldean Catholic Church’s Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, in Kurdish-governed Northern Iraq, is reported as saying that for the first time in 1600 years there was no Mass said in Mosul on Sunday June 15th. This is the city taken over days before by ISIS forces. Reports say the . . . Read More