Iraqi Christians fast and pray to end killings.

(March,02,2010): In Iraq, Christian lay and religious leaders, as well as countless members of the community came together to sound the alarm against the slaughter of Iraqi Christians and the flight of hundreds of them from Mosul, victims of an Arab-Kurdish conflict that could leave the country without its Christian population. In Kirkuk on Monday, Christians held a day of fasting and prayer called for by Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, to avoid further violence before the March 7 election. “The government condemned the attacks,” said Archbishop Sako, and Muslim leaders did the same, insisting that the violence is ‘unIslamic’; however, we have become accustomed to such statements and want instead concrete actions”, he added. For the prelate, fasting, holding a joint prayer vigil, putting up flags and posters around the city are all part of this effort to bring peace and unity to the country. Archbishop Sako said “Monday’s initiative is for Christians only to avoid the politicisation of the event. Until now, Muslims have been silent concerning the slaughter, but now they should react and take concrete actions,” he added.
Meanwhile, Patriarch Emmanuel Delly is in Mosul to bring comfort to the families of the victims and to meet local authorities. Lastly, through AsiaNews the auxiliary bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad, thanked Pope Benedict XVI for the appeal he made during Sunday ‘s Angelus in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square on behalf of Iraq's Christians. “It is encouraging to feel him so close. He is a source of comfort for all the faithful, and his words are a source of consolation and faith in the future,” he said.