Joseph Mahmoud

The provisional toll is 41 dead and 125 injured. Attacks hit Baghdad, Mosul, Tikrit and other cities, especially crowded places. So far, no one has claimed responsibility. Unknown attackers fire at St Mary Assyrian Church in east Baghdad. Christian-owned businesses are also targeted. Sources tell AsiaNews that people are starting to be scared.

In a letter to the clergy the affirmation of the "ecumenical nature" of a Church which "has been and will always be open to all nations and languages, because Christ has sent it forth to proclaim the Gospel to all nations" and therefore cannot and will not get involved in nationalist campaigns. "It 's time to understand that our Church is invited to transform her reality in light of the resurrection."

Developed in four points, the document was presented to Prime Minister al-Maliki and President of the Parliament. It provides for an end to "foreign intervention" in matters of domestic policy and the reconstruction of the "Iraqi home" with the participation "of all active components in society." Appeal for proper use of media and avoid exploitation in upcoming elections.

In his address at Friday prayers Hami Ahmad Amin remembers the meeting with Cardinal Sandri. The Islamist leader stresses gratitude for the event, which "expresses the respect of Christians for Muslims." He brought the "message of peace" of Benedict XVI and the call for dialogue to "solve problems."

The cardinal calls for Christian-Muslim collaboration for "peace and progress". Sunni Imam: we are "brothers and sisters". Shiite leader: Christians "flowers in the garden." In the governorate Christmas will be a public holiday and vacation "for all". After the anti-Christian fatwa, Al Baghdadia TV channel blocked.

From an Egyptian TV Jihad leader Ahmad Al Baghdadi Al Hassani speaks of Christians as polytheists and friends of the Zionists. Sources tell AsiaNews: a grave fact, but the government is attentive to these claims. Card. Sandri reconsecrates the cathedral scene of the massacre in October 2010. The tears, said the cardinal, "are seeds of communion and witness".

Tensions are running high between the central government and the Kurdish administration. Baghdad rushes troops to the city to keep in check the peshmerga. Clashes are reported south of the city. Mgr Sako talks about the civilian plight, asking for "security and stability". He also urges political leaders to be "messengers of peace".

The bishops ask political leaders for greater security and defense of the rights of all sections of Iraqi society. The appeal to stop the exodus of Christians from the country. The call to pray for the Christians of Syria. The annual meeting of the bishops was held November 6 to 7 in Ankawa (Kurdistan). Among the topics: the application of Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, the ideas of the Synod for the New Evangelization and the Year of Faith.

Commenting on the Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, the Archbishop of Kirkuk invokes "truth and charity" in relations with Muslims and in the profession of faith. Reform and renewal the two key elements for a new evangelization. And the hope of a "real exchange" between the churches of East and West.

Kirkuk commemorates victims of the massacre two years ago and also the 37 Christians killed in the city from 2003 to today. The testimony of the sister of a young engineer who was kidnapped and murdered, "No matter what we experience, what is important is how we live and how we can turn these events to an encounter with God and with others."

The bomb exploded causing damage to the building. Yesterday the International Day of Peace marked worldwide. For Msgr. Sako, the Church in Iraq is "troubled, but not crushed."

A group of 13 young men and women visit Kirkuk and Karakosh, through the initiative of local Christian families. It is an opportunity to meet and exchange in a region affected by violence and persecution. Physical proximity goes beyond words of solidarity. For Mgr Sako, such "projects lead to hope."