Vatican City, Jan 26, 2009 / 21:34 pm
On Saturday at the Vatican, the Holy Father met with prelates from the Chaldean Catholic Church who had just concluded their "ad limina" visit. During their meeting with the Pope, the Chaldean bishops presented him with a cape used by Archbishop Faraj Rahho of Mosul and a stole belonging to Fr. Ragheed Aziz Ganni, both killed in Iraq over recent months.
Through Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, the Pope sent greetings to all the Chaldean faithful, assuring them of his fervent prayers "at this very difficult time for your region, especially for Iraq." Recalling Archbishop Rahho and Fr. Ganni, he said: "I ask God that the men and women of peace in that beloved region may unite their efforts to put an end to violence and enable everyone to live in security and mutual harmony."
The Pope then spoke of the origins of the Chaldean Church "which stretch back to the first centuries of the Christian era" and have a "long and noble tradition." He then explained that today, the Church remains an important institution in the country and must continue to serve the people and assist them in spiritual development.