Madrid, Spain, Aug 17, 2011 / 11:49 am
Catholics in Iraq are maintaining a strong faith despite persecution in their country, Iraqi bishops and seminarians explained to a group of young pilgrims at World Youth Day.
“All young Catholics are brothers in Jesus Christ, and Iraqis need all (of them) to pray for the entire country, both Christians and Muslims, because Iraq is very important to Christianity,” said Samir Haddo Atallah, a seminarian from Mosul, Iraq.
Atallah spoke with CNA in an exclusive interview on Aug. 16. He is part of a group of 18 Iraqi seminarians from Mosul that traveled to World Youth Day, along with city’s Syrian-Catholic Archbishop Yohanna Petrus Mouche, and the former Bishop Georges Casmoussa. The group met with Spanish and Mexican youth at the parish of San Agustin in Madrid.
The seminarians and bishops explained that life is hard for Christians in countries like Iraq, where they are often persecuted and are targets of violence.