Two people dead and five injured: this is the result of two bomb attacks against two rather ancient churches in the centre of Mosul, the Church of Saint George of the Chaldeans and the Syro-Orthodox Church of Saint Thomas. This is the second terrorist attack in a week’s time against Christian places of worship in the Sunni city. It was reported by the Iraqi agency Aswat al-Iraq. “The umpteenth attack to scare Christians – states to SIR the Latin archbishop of Baghdad, mgr. Jean B. Sleiman – in the run-up to the election round. The terrorists are certainly not thinking of Christmas, they are just trying to create a new situation. Unfortunately such terrorist arracks add up to the sad, dramatic wake of violence that for a long time now has been the accompaniment to the life of Iraqi Christians”. The archbishop of Kirkuk, mgr. Louis Sako, speaks of a “worrying message” but nevertheless he still “hopes in peace that remains our Christmas wish for the country. Let’s keep praying for this wish, so that everyone may share in the joy of this festivity”.

© SIR - december 23th, 2009