Chaldean Patriarch visits Church of bloody attack of 2010

15 April, 2013 - Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako on Sunday celebrated a Mass in the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad, the scene of a bloody attack on 31 October, 2010 that left more than 50 dead and dozens wounded. The Patriarch made a pilgrimage to the target of the Islamic extremist violence in Iraq over 2 years ago, saying the relics of martyrs in the Christian tradition of the East are "precious faith-strengthening treasures". They also represent a "living spiritual legacy," which opens the door "to life and the future." For many faithful present at Sunday’s Mass it was an ecumenical gesture full of "hope." Patriarch Sako said he knew some of the martyrs, especially the two young priests, Waseem and Tahir, who gave an excellent example of service and sacrifice" for the Church. The martyrs remain at the summit of religious values, as emblems of peace, love, service and sacrifice, the Patriarch said, adding they are for us a hopeful sign of eternal life. He encouraged the faithful to follow in the footsteps of the martyrs in the paschal journey, and said that people must conquer fear and regain the strength to walk towards peace and prosperity. (Source: Asianews)