Scottish Catholic Observer

An Iraqi archbishop has described how Christians in his country believe ‘there is no future’ for them there but added that they are afraid to flee abroad due to the political uncertainty and crisis in neighbouring countries.

Speaking after the death of an Orthodox Christian in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday, Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil told Catholic charity, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), that ‘the latest murder adds to the pessimistic view that there is no future’ for Christians in Iraq.

“No matter how you try to convince people things are getting better they say ‘look at these things that are happening,’” Archbishop Warda, above, said.

Describing renewed talk of emigration among Iraqi Christians, he added: “Even the situation in neighbouring Turkey is not that good and with what’s going on in Syria at the moment a family thinking of emigration has limited choices.”

As a Catholic charity for persecuted and other suffering Christians, ACN has prioritised help for Iraq in line with a 2007 directive from Pope Benedict XVI to help the Church in the Middle East where he said ‘it is threatened in its very existence.’