Scottish Catholic Observer

Fr Martin Delaney of Motherwell Diocese welcomed the move from Rome and insisted that Fr Ragheed Ganni’s story can teach ordinary Catholics to be grateful for their Faith.

The Vatican has given its permission for the opening of the sainthood cause of the Iraqi priest and three deacons who were murdered by armed gunmen in Mosul.

The Congregation for Saints’ Causes gave the ‘no objection’ verdict, permitting a diocesan bishop to open a local inquiry into a candidate’s sanctity.

The Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle of Detroit will be handling the process because of the difficult conditions facing the Church in Mosul.

Fr Ganni and Deacons Basman Yousef Daud, Wahid Hanna Isho and Gassan Isam Bidawid were killed outside the Holy Spirit Church right after Fr Ganni had celebrated Mass for Trinity Sunday.

Now Fr Delaney, who has recently been appointed parish priest of St Aloysius’ Church in Chapelhall and Sacred Heart Church in Salsburgh, has shared his own views on a priest who helped shape his commitment to the priesthood.

“Fr Ragheed Ganni was a martyr for the Faith in Iraq. The story as I understand it is that he was a student at the Irish seminary in Rome and he left the city one month before I started studying there,” he said. “Because of the close connections between the Irish and the Scots colleges he knew some of the same people I did. Some of the people who were in my classes had studied with him and they remembered he was a particularly keen footballer, so much so that the Irish College now has a football tournament in his memory every year.

Fr Ganni was serving as a priest in Mosul when he was threatened for celebratign Mass. He was told if he didn’t close the church, he would be killed. He refused, saying ‘how can I close the house of God?’

The priest was murdered as he spoke.

Fr Delaney said: “Now in 2018 the Church is starting to rebuild itself in Mosul and Iraq and that’s thanks to people like Fr Ganni’s witness to the Faith which helps strengthen others.”

He said Fr Ganni’s story made a deep impression on everyone in his seminary.

“Sometimes, it’s easy to complain about being away from home, the studies etc. I think it was a real wake up call to what other Catholics had to go through to practice their Faith, a lesson in what we took for granted.

“I think the lesson for us—priests and people— is how much do we really believe? If the government suddenly forbade us, would we persevere?”

Fr Delaney who is chaplain to Aid to the Church in Need Scotland added: “I’m hoping to go out to Iraq with Aid to the Church in Need later this year. It’s great to talk about and share the work that goes on there but it’s so much better to go out and get the experience.”