This is the day the Lord
has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it”
Psalms 118:24
The above verse from the
book of Psalms perfectly describes the feelings of
Chaldeans all over the world
on Saturday November 24th, 2008 when
our beloved Patriarch Mar Emmanuel III Delly was
elevated to the College of Cardinals of the
Catholic Church by His holiness
Pope Benedict giving worldwide recognition and
exposure for the Chaldean Church.
Seven Chaldean Bishops,
scores of Chaldean priests, monks, nuns, deacons,
seminarians and hundreds of Chaldean faithful from all
over the world, converged on
St. Peter’s Basilica, full of tears and chanting
with utmost joy words of love and praise to their
Patriarch and hero Mar Emmanuel III Delly.
“Shabbah LMaria BQoothsheh
Halleluja
Nzayyah Lkahnootheh DMaran
Zahia B Halleluja”
“Glorify the Lord in His
holiness, Halleluja
We honor our adorned
Patriarch with Halleluja”
With these words, in the
early hours of
Saturday morning Nov. 24th, 2008
standing at the entrance of
St. Peter’s Basilica, hundreds of Chaldean
pilgrims from all over the world came to
Rome to honor their Patriarch and filled the
skies of
Rome with chants of praise celebrating the first
Chaldean cardinal, His Beatitude Mar Emmanuel Delly,
Patriarch of the Chaldean Church.
Everyone predicted rain in
Rome on that day but the skies were clear and the
air pure. All heaven was celebrating with the Chaldeans
in
Rome and all over the world the morning of
Saturday November 24th.
His holiness
Pope Benedict XVI gave extraordinary attention to
Iraq and Mar Emmanuel Delly during his speech at
the installation ceremony. On Sunday November 25th,
Mar Emmanuel was concelebrating with the Holy Father a
majestic mass and was one of only two cardinals who said
prayers during the mass.
The official
Vatican newspaper L’Osservator Romano the next
day had only the picture of our Patriarch on the front
page being installed by
Pope Benedict.
Our Patriarch, the
Chaldean Church and
Iraq received overwhelming attention from the
Holy Father and the
Vatican giving testimony to the Holy Father’s
commitment to Eastern Churches, Christians in the Middle
East and especially the Christians of
Iraq.
The installation of Mar
Emmanuel III Delly as the first Chaldean Cardinal gave
Chaldeans all over the world a huge moral boost and
exposure especially during these difficult times for the
Christians of
Iraq.
We are all full of joy for
this well deserved crowning of our Shepherd Mar Emmanuel
III Delly whose courage, holiness and prudent leadership
have protected our beloved Chaldean church throughout
the world and especially in
Iraq.
Deacon
Keith
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