CHR DE as Iraq and worse; Protection of the Virgin in Lourdes Rügen

Beatrice KHADIGE | AFP -

"We do not ask for money, we are asking the world to pray for peace in Iraq", argue that the Father Boutros Chitou Lourdes arrived in Baghdad with some Iraqi Christians, whose suffering was Friday jihadists? Ur Assumption pilgrimage.

For the first time the city of St. Bernadette has lived in the rhythm of prayer for the Christians of the East: The Syrian, Palestinian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Iraqi, and especially the threat of genocide, war in the country.

In Iraq, the main narrator of prayer said on August 15 in the France of Louis XIII furnished "The whole family is in the way that men and women thrown with their lives for their devotion to Jesus Christ," the support of a boy thousands of pilgrims to the grotto of Bernadette.

This atmosphere of good character in the presence of 30,000 pilgrims, according to the organizers, and many things are disabled or ill, Eastern Christians, but also French, wearing the badge, T-shirt or a poster that a red circle the famous "noune" (Letter N) Ask Jihad target Iraqi Christian families.

"We ask you, Lord, especially Eastern Christians, especially the Christians in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, the suffering repression in everyday life," said the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, the shrine Nicolas Brouwet the great mass of the Assumption on the forecourt of the afternoon.

And on Thursday evening, also pointed out that the traditional first course of Lourdes 14, remarks Christian martyrs-XXI century translated Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ, at least one of the oldest Christian communities in East Chaldean language Iraq.

Pope Francisco has asked the parties on 27 July, to stop the war in the Middle East.

- France is linked to the Christians of the East -

"I think we have a tradition in France, the history of the East," the bishop said recently Brouwet. "France is the protector of the holy places, and in general, was always employed by the presence of Christians in the region."

"It is a great joy, a great consolation for us," Father Boutros recalls, 34, a constant prayer for his country.

Elijah, this time with his three brothers and their families in France, twenty skeptical fellow refugees from Europe arrived in Lourdes. "Nothing will stop the jihadists in Iraq," he said in prayer.

- "We will die here," -

"They had a couple of hours, my stepmother and her daughter leave Qaraqosh" the largest Christian town in Iraq, in Mosul, in northern Iraq. "In the night. Sponsor nightgown," she said tearfully.

Math teacher, 51 years, there is hope that his country. "We have always split between Shiites and Sunnis. Must be the Best Christians," the father of four children, was born in France in the last nine months said.

"I pray, here are my people, my people, they have to go," he said. "And if they stay, please call establishing the AFP, write it so that an international force should go to protect" ...

Father Boutros Qaraqosh but reigning in Baghdad not, that makes sense. "We want to stay at home," he says, as Palestinian Bethlehem, Yousef, with his wife pilgrimage.

"We have never left., We die there, no matter what happens," he said, referring to the endless war between Israel and Palestine.

The end of the day, Lourdes, Eastern Christians gathered for the Arab Peace Fair, celebrated in the heart of the sanctuary.