International Awards “Fontane di Roma” for IVE

  By Friends of Iraq | December 10, 2013 - 10:21 am | ,
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Dear Religious Family, On Tuesday November 26, 2013 at 8:30 pm, the 33th edition of the International Awards was held  ” Fontane di Roma ” in the Auditorium Conciliazione under the shadow of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica , Rome . Festival devised by the President of the International Academy “La Sponda “ Doctor Benito Corradini , who has an innate ability to organize charity events .  The motivation of the award is “the exaltation of the activity of the one who works with high endeavor, and professionalism to … Continue reading →

Daughters of the Virgin Mary, our Lady of Mount Carmel

  By Friends of Iraq | December 4, 2013 - 11:00 am | ,
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We have received the request to tell about other missionaries in this loved country. Here is the first chapter. The Daughters of the Virgin Mary, our Lady of Mount Carmel, is a Public Association of the Faithful, founded by Father Ghadir, an Iraqi Carmelite priest in 2001. The Daughters of Mary are consecrated lay women who profess poverty, chastity and obedience, and live the Carmelite spirituality. They can live in community or in their own homes. Similarly to Saint Paul (the Apostle) they work to make a living. (But) what … Continue reading →

How are we? – News from Baghdad

  By Friends of Iraq | November 30, 2013 - 3:11 pm |
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News from Baghdad When we are asked how we are, we find it difficult to explain our situation. On the one hand we live in a country where – according to some estimates – there are over 20 attacks per day. The danger is real and is just around any corner. Just as an example: the other day a woman came to give thanks for her son. The youth was traveling by bus within the city and got off at his destination. At that moment a bomb exploded inside the … Continue reading →

Defending Christianity in the Middle East (Part 2)

  By Friends of Iraq | November 29, 2013 - 2:55 pm |
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Defending Christianity in the Middle East. Rome, November 27, 2013 (Zenit.org) Junno Arocho Esteves “We will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians.” This was Pope Francis’ appeal last week during an audience with participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Prior to that audience, the Holy Father met with the Patriarchs and Major Archbishops of the Middle East to discuss the violent situations faced by many in countries such as Syria and Iraq. Attacks targeted towards Christians have caused many to flee their homelands, prompting what some … Continue reading →

Defending Christianity in the Middle East (Part 1)

  By Friends of Iraq | November 28, 2013 - 2:51 pm |
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Rome, November 26, 2013 (Zenit.org) Junno Arocho Esteves Defending Christianity in the Middle East. “We will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians.” This was the call made by Pope Francis last week during an audience with participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. Prior to that audience, the Holy Father met with the Patriarchs and Major Archbishops of the Middle East to discuss the violent situations faced by many in countries such as Syria and Iraq. Attacks targeted toward Christians have caused many to flee … Continue reading →

Minorities face religious liberty threats worldwide, experts say

  By Friends of Iraq | November 27, 2013 - 2:42 pm |
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Minorities face religious liberty threats worldwide. Washington D.C., Nov 18, 2013 / 05:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Members of minority religious communities, particularly Christians in the Middle East, face grave persecution around the world, religious freedom experts warn. “There are parts of the world today where to be a Christian is to put your life in danger. From continent to continent, Christians are facing discrimination, ostracism, torture, even murder, simply for the faith they follow,” said Baroness Sayeeda Warsi in a Nov. 14 article in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. … Continue reading →

Pope Francis: “We Must Not Resign Ourselves to Thinking of a Middle East Without Christians”

  By Friends of Iraq | November 23, 2013 - 2:37 pm |
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Pope Francis: “We Must Not Resign Ourselves to Thinking of a Middle East Without Christians” Appeals for Respect to Profess Ones Faith During Meeting With Congregation for Oriental Churches VATICAN CITY, November 21, 2013 (Zenit.org) – Early this afternoon, the Holy Father met with participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who are gathered in Rome from November 19-22nd. The meeting will reflect on the theme of the magisterium of the Second Vatican Council with regard to the Christian East. After the opening address by … Continue reading →

Silent Victims of the War: The Elderly

  By Friends of Iraq | November 20, 2013 - 3:00 pm | ,
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How many have people died because of the war in Iraq? Depending on who provides the figures, the number varies from 150,000 to 1,500,000. The two most respected studies also vary greatly in their estimates: The Opinion Research Business organization estimated that there have been 1,033,000 violent deaths due to the war in Iraq, from 2003 to 2008. Amy Hagopian of the University of Washington published a study in the journal PLoS Medicine on 15 October this year, asserting that the death toll, since the outbreak of war until June … Continue reading →

Christian Churches in Arab countries

  By Friends of Iraq | November 18, 2013 - 2:18 pm |
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Excerpts from Bishop Maroun Lahham contribution to the Provincial Council of the Salesian Sisters where he talks about the reality of the local churches in Arab countries. Autochthonous churches Many people are surprised to learn that Arab Christian do exist, and that these are fundamentally Arab and not Muslims who have abandoned their religion. I do not wish to analyze this aspect, but the fact is that our countries have no Christianity right from its birth. Our countries had mainly become Christian even before the end of the first century. … Continue reading →

Iraq in the Holy Scriptures

  By Friends of Iraq | November 14, 2013 - 3:07 pm |
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Iraq in the Holy Scriptures. Iraq has been blessed by God when included in very important events in the history of salvation. Earthly Paradise We can say that it is here where the story begins. Indeed in the current Iraq are two rivers that are mentioned in the garden where Adam and Eve were created: “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers (…) and the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth … Continue reading →