IRAQ: THE BISHOPS’ WELCOME TO THE NEW APOSTOLIC NUNCIO, MGR. LINGUA

Satisfaction of the Iraqi Bishops Conference for the news of the appointment as apostolic nuncio to Jordan and Iraq, of mgr. Giorgio Lingua, so far a councillor for the nunciature, that replaces mgr. Francis Assisi Chullikat who will go to the United Nations. The Latin archbishop of Baghdad, mgr. Jean B. Sleiman, expresses his joy to SIR: “first and foremost I wish to give my thanks to mgr. Chullikat who has done a great job over these years and we wish the same to mgr. Lingua. We are glad about this appointment that expresses all of Benedict XVI’s care for our church that is in Iraq”. The new nuncio will have to deal with “work with the Eastern Churches and relations with a country, as Iraq is, where things are not back to normal yet”. The Chaldean vicar of Baghdad, mgr. Shlemon Warduni, expresses his satisfaction too: “the Pope does not forget the Iraqi church. We will receive the new nuncio with lots of prayers, that the Lord may give him strength and wisdom to be able to sacrifice himself for this martyred people and especially for Christians. The situation is not good here and this will not change until there is a strong government to make laws abided by. In the meantime, we are getting ready for the Synod for the Middle East, a great hope for the churches of the Region. We hope we will find answers and remedies to the lack of unity and to the flight of Christians”.

© SIR - september, 6th 2010