Amman – "Your Holiness, your tears on the memory of Christian martyrs give us as children of the Catholic Church also the strength to endure hardship and go towards others with faith and love for all. As the Lord said, love your enemies". This is what Dr. Ghazi Ibrahim Rahho wrote in a letter to Pope Francis from Amman on behalf of His Excellency Boulos Faraj Rahho’s family, the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul kidnapped and killed in 2008 after 12 days of torture.
In the letter, which was sent to Fides Agency, the Iraqi Archbishop’s relatives turn to the Pope ahead of his upcoming visit to Jordan, thanking him for his enlightening words that express the gaze of the Christian faith on the stories of martyrdom and persecution: "Archbishop Rahho" reads the letter "gave testimony of the word of the Lord, despite his suffering". The Archbishop’s relatives say they had to leave Iraq after his assassination, finding refuge in Jordan, which is defined as "the country of coexistence between Christians and Muslims". They also express the hope that Archbishop Rahho will one day be counted "among the Martyr Saints for the Word of God". "Despite our exodus from Iraq", stresses Dr. Ghazi Rahho on behalf of his relatives, "we will remain, however, in the East, which is our homeland. We will remain here even at the cost of sacrifices and realities that oppress us, because we feel that the Lord accompanies us and we see that the saints rejoice when th ey bear all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ".
By: Agenzia Fides
