www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Chaldean consecration

I would be grateful if any Chaldean members of the Forum (or anyone else who has the details) could furnish information on the consecration of Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk. The AP carried a story, picked up by dozens of newspapers around the U.S., reporting that Archbishop Louis Sako was consecrated on 14 November 2003, but no basic details (consecrator,co-consecrators) were given.

I have since found that the consecration took place at Mosul (church not identfied). A story on Vatican Radio`s website stated that the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Fernando Filoni, presided at the consecration. I would be surprised if the Nuncio was the principal consecrator and I suspect that either the patriarchal administrator, Bishop Shlemun Warduni, or the Archbishop of Mosul, Archbishop Paulos Faraj Raho, may have been the principal consecrator.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Peace,

Charles

Interesting. Mosul is not a peaceful place these days. It was from Mosul that deadly attacks on the American and coalition troops have been taking place in recent days. Must be the Mosul Muslims--Iraqi Christians wouldn't commit mayhem and murder, right?

OrthodoxEast

Indeed, the Assyrians and Chaldeans are quite happy the US forces are there according to interviews with Assyrian and Chaldean clergy.

Fr. Deacon Lance

I am neither Assyrian or Chaldean but I am some kind of familiar with the situation of both Churches.

Next weeks will be important for the Chaldean Church, because they will elect a Patriarch and this will be of particular interest of Eastern Christians and particularly those in Communion with Rome.

Unfortunately, the current presence of western troops in Iraq and the liberalization that its society will be living, will probably be used by some elements in Rome to impose their political agenda over the Chaldean faithful.

The Vatican is now pushing for the appointment of Mar Audo, Bishop of Aleppo as Patriarch. He is very close to the Baathist Syrian state and sees himself as an Arab Christian. He does not speak the Assyrian language or has links with his own nation. He did most of his priestly and theological studies in the West with modernist theologians.

His programmed reforms include the translation of the Assyrian Liturgy to modern-vernacular Arabic (he does not celebrate in Assyrian in Syria) and as you know, some of the abuses in the West started with the translation of the liturgy to vulgar tongues and subtle changes in the meaning of the words.

This is accompanied by the attemps by the new liberal disidents who will arrive as Iraq government, and the current Baath administration in Syria to make their countries "more Western" and it's not surprising that they will try to make Eastern Christians to look more and more like modern Western catholics.