Archbishop Warda doesn’t pull his punches when reflecting on the impact of decades of persecution, war and conflict in Iraq.
In this interview we speak to Archbishop Bashar Warda, Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, about Pope Francis’ historic first visit to Iraq.
Archbishop Warda doesn’t pull his punches when reflecting on the impact of decades of persecution, war and conflict on minorities in the north – particularly the Christians.
But, he stresses, despite the challenges, God will protect Christianity in Iraq:
“I tell you, it’s a challenging time for us. We believe in God, I mean it’s our faith. But if you ask me, is there a future? I would say given these circumstances, no, there’s no future.
“Sooner or later, the majority of the [Iraqi] Christians who are abroad will invite them, I mean, family union within these programmes will encourage that.
“But is this the end of it? No, because the final word is for God, and God, who kept the Christianity alive for 2,000 years in Iraq with all of these difficulties and persecution right from the beginning… He will find a way.
“But of course, we have to think with Him to help Him find the way. I mean, He needs our help with that.”
Here’s a clip from our 20-minute interview.
You can watch the full interview on this page or listen to the podcast here.
Present realities and future hopes after the papal visit to Iraq.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols visited Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan in April 2015.
