The translation of the Patriarchal Decree

The original is in Arabic




Introduction

 Before the ordained, the “Priest” announces the offering of his whole life to God and the Church. It is an offering grounded in the obedience to the superiors without any conservation. The ministry that has been delegated to him by the bishop, successor of the Apostles is holy and the priest has to remain faithful to it during his whole life. For monks, the vows are absolute; chastity, obedience, and poverty. Looking for substitutes is considered a grave violation to the vows .

 

 

 

Priest’s Primary Duties

Keeping the faith complete, building up the Mystical Body of Christ, and enhancing the unity of the Church (Patriarchate-Eparchy) under the guidance of the local ordinary, serving where the Church sends the priest not where he wishes to serve. This is a successive tradition since the Apostolic Age.

 

In the Byzantine liturgy, the Patriarch breaks the host to four portions. He gives one of them to a newly ordained priest as a symbol of unity and as well as communion. These are fundamental values that should never fade because of personal interests!


We have bright examples of priests from our days that give us eloquent faith lessons like the priests who shed their blood for sake of the flock: Hana Qasha (Village of Suria), Ragheed Ganni and Bishop Paulus Faraj Rahho (Mosul), and the priests who have been kidnapped yet stayed in their country and churches as well as the priests who have been expelled from their places yet they have journeyed with their flock!  

 

I remind you, brothers, of Jesus’ saying, “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:25. I also remind you that the Church is a mother and a teacher, a mother who loves her children but does not spoil them, and a teacher who raise, remind, guide, and correct the path of her children with responsibility.  

 

With regard to some of the priest who minister outside their eparchies I would like to allude to the fact that we have docuмents from their bishops other than the docuмents they have published on different internet websites. From the bottom of my heart I personally forgive all the insulting words that have been directed to myself from some of them. May the merciful God forgive them. Right at the end will prevail.    

 

On a related note, I would like to thank Fr. Paulus Khuzeran who decided to go back from USA to the monastery and obey his superiors and also Yousif Lazghin from Australia on 4/11/2014 .  

Decree

 

Based on what have been previously stated and according to the Canon Law and monastic regulations mentioned in our second letter, also after consulting with the permanent synod and informing the Congregation of the Oriental Churches, and in accordance with the monastic context,  

 

We have decreed,

 

That the following monks and priests shall be suspended from practicing priestly ministry;

 

 

 

First- The Monks

 1.       Noel Istepho Gorgis

2.       Andraws Gorgis Toma

3.       Oraha Qardagh Mansour

4.       Patros Solaqa

5.       Fady Isho Hanna (submitted a request to the Congregation of the Oriental Churches to be a diocesan priest and he will still be suspended until the approval is received).

6.       Ayob Shawkat Adwar who immigrated recently to Canada.        

 

Second- The Priests

 1. Fareed Kena, from the Eparchy of Alqosh and he is suspended by Msgr. Michael Maqdasi, Bishop of Alqosh over a year ago.

2. Faris Yaqo Maroghi, from the Eparchy of Alqosh and he is suspended by Msgr. Michael Maqdasi, Bishop of Alqosh over a year ago.

3. Peter (Petros) Lawrance, from the Eparchy of Basrah then Baghdad. Msgr. Habib Al-Nawfali, Archbishop of Basrah has sent the letter of suspension to the Patriarchate.

4. Remon Hameed, from the Eparchy of Baghdad.

5. Hurmiz Petros Haddad, from the Eparchy of Baghdad.

6. Yousif (Lazgeen) Abdulahad, from the Eparchy of Zakho and Amadiya. Msgr. Rabban Alqas, Bishop of Zakho and Amadiya has sent the letter of suspension to the Patriarchate.      

 

If these diocesan priests will return, their status will be reviewed. For monks, there is no other option but to return to their monastery and canonically correct their status.

 

At the end of this decree I would like to ask all the bishops to adhere to the Canon Law, enforce order, and keep the centralization in the Church and Eparchies. I assure that this decision is not an act against a certain Eparchy for the priests are in the United States, Canada, Australia and Sweden. The objective of our decree is to end the illegal exit of the priests from their eparchies. This decree has come after several, unfortunately unfruitful, ultimatums and attempts from the former church authority and the Chaldean Order superior.

 

It should be mentioned that if this decree is not published confusion will occur and rumors will spread. Today’s Church, away from compliments, relativity and ambiguity counts on explicitly revealing the truths to all and not hide them so that the people may know the truth and have confidence in the Church. All in all it is about a follow up and governance away from being merely sensational journalism.      

 

We plead to all to pray for the Chaldean Church and her progress for the Glory of God and the good of her children.

http://saint-adday.com/permalink/6672.html

Its pretty obvious that no one disputes the original content, but the problem is not the patriarch, but his chief has no authority.

I could see how some of these priest's are maybe afraid for their life? Who knows, but it certainly seems like a legit command he gave. Presuming of course, if their head was not an anti-Pope.

Bombs are falling and the sound of the explosion is sending shock and fear into the hearts of the people. Amid the sound of crying and frenzied activity, people pack up what belongings they can carry and make off into the night.

In the midst of it all, on the night of Aug. 6, stands Martin Baani, a 24-year-old seminarian. It’s dawning on him that this is Karamlesh’s last stand.

For 1,800 years, Christianity has had a home in the hearts and minds of the people of this town so full of antiquity. Now that era is about to be brought to a calamitous end; Islamic State are advancing.

Martin’s mobile phone rings: a friend stammers out the news that the nearby town of Telkaif has fallen to “Da’ash” – the Arabic name for Islamic State.  Karamlesh would surely be next.

Martin dashes out of his aunt’s house, where he is staying, and heads for the nearby St Addai’s Church. He takes the Blessed Sacrament, a bundle of official papers, and walks out of the church. Outside a car awaits – his parish priest, Father Thabet, and three other priests are inside.

Martin gets in and the car speeds off. They leave Karamlesh and the last remnants of the village’s Christian presence go with them.

Speaking to Martin in the calm of St. Peter’s Seminary, Ankawa – a suburb of the Kurdish regional capital of Erbil – it is difficult to imagine he is describing anything except a bad dream. But there is nothing dreamy in Martin’s expression. “Until the very last minute, the Peshmerga were telling us it was safe.”

“But then we heard that they were setting up big guns on St Barbara’s Hill (on the edge of the village) and we knew then the situation had become very dangerous.”

Taking stock of that terrible night, Martin’s confidence is bolstered by the presence of 27 other seminarians at St. Peter’s, many with their own stories of escape from the clutches of the Islamic militants.

Martin and his fellow students for the priesthood know that the future is bleak as regards Christianity in Iraq. A community of 1.5 million Christians before 2003 has dwindled to less than 300,000. And of those who remain, more than a third are displaced. Many, if not most, want a new life in a new country.

Martin, however, is not one of them. “I could easily go,” he explains calmly. “My family now live in California. I already have been given a visa to go to America and visit them.”

“But I want to stay. I don’t want to run away from the problem.”

Martin has already made the choice that marks out the priests who have decided to stay in Iraq: his vocation is to serve the people, come what may.
 
“We must stand up for our rights; we must not be afraid,” he explains.

Describing in detail the emergency relief work that has occupied so much of his time, it is plain to see that he feels his place is to be with the people.

Martin is already a subdeacon. Now in his final year of theology, ordination to the priesthood is but a few months away.

“Thank you for your prayers,” says Martin, as I take my leave of him. “We count on your support.”

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/martin-baani-the-iraqi-seminarian-who-will-not-leave-his-people-46979/

I think we should support him with our prayers. It would be very easy for him to leave and start a new life somewhere else. He could probably find sympathy and admittance in a seminary in California. Let us pray for him to be faithful to his vocation to the Chaldean Catholic church and to the Iraqi people.