Church's Union with Rome
Offers Hope to Iraqi Christians

by Edward Pentin

Rome - May 22, 2008

In an historic move that could have positive implications for Christians in Iraq, an American diocese of Assyrian Christians has come into communion with the Catholic Church.

The diocese, which has an estimated 3,000 faithful, had broken away from the Assyrian Apostolic Church of the East in 2005 after its bishop, Mar Bawai Soro, defended papal primacy. Following the bishop's consequent suspension, he and his dioceses drew closer to the Chaldean Catholic Church. The union was solemnized May 10-11 at churches in the Californian cities of Turlock and Ceres.

The Assyrian Church, centred in modern-day Iraq, dates back to the first century and the earliest days of Christianity. In the fifth century, the church became aligned with the Nestorian controversy but, in comparison to the Orthodox churches, has always remained relatively close to Rome. The teachings of John Nestorius, the fifth-century Archbishop of Constantinople, were condemned by the Council of Ephesus in 431. In the 16th century, large numbers of Nestorian Assyrians came into communion with Rome, forming the Chaldean Catholic Church.

In an interview with Terrasanta.net May 20th, Bishop Soro said that his diocese has been working with the same "spirit and motivation" that led to the creation of the Chaldean Catholic Church some 500 years ago. "This means a lot of things for me and our eight parishes and missions", said Bishop Soro. "Basically it ends the isolation we had to endure for centuries with the rest of the Christian world. Additionally, we can now properly renew (restore) our liturgical practices and live out our social and cultural unity with our Chaldean brothers and sisters."

However, what is most significant, Bishop Soro said, is that they now feel "spiritually and morally connected" with the Body of Christ through communion with the Successor of Peter. (Bishop Soro himself is not yet in full communion although he has asked the Holy Father to be formally received and expects to hear an answer soon).

Bishop Soro said that in Iraq, although Iraqis have more basic life concerns to contend with, his diocese's movement toward unity "is very much watched and its prospects observed". Overall, he believes it will greatly help Iraqi Christians to become "more assertive of their commitment to all that will give witness to their Christian character and advance their genuine contribution in Iraq". Church unity, he said, can be a source of "renewed hope and a possibility for a better future - a larger cultural and ethnic unity among the ChaldoAssyrians of Iraq".

"The more people are made to understand that this movement protects the local character of the church while it integrates the faithful into the totality of the Body of Christ, the better response we should expect from our Iraqi Christians who are not yet in communion with Rome," he said. His unity movement does not yet have parishes in Iraq but claims to have wide grassroots support for its ideals, namely liturgical reform and Church unity. Bishop Soro hopes all Iraqi Christians will soon express their desire for unity.

"Given the turbulent political situation there and the numerous hardships confronting the Christian communities in Iraq, a successful unity movement will inspire a new hope in the hearts of people," he said. "As such, the results of hope always can effect the survival and livelihood of Christianity in Iraq, and ultimately in the rest of the Middle East."

However, before unity can be a real possibility for those remaining members of the Assyrian Apostolic Church of the East, the fallout from this unity movement will first have to dissipate. Bishop Soro said he and his flock are doing all they can to reply with "compassion and reason" to radical Assyrian groups opposed to their union with Rome. They also plan to "work hard" with the Chaldean hierarchy to show that "Church unity is a win/win proposition."