WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) — In observance of a week promoting awareness of Christians persecuted internationally, the Chaldean archbishop of Erbil offered a Mass in Washington, D.C., for victims of the Islamic State. He stated that suffering offers opportunities for kindness.
“Is there a blessing in being persecuted for the faith?” Archbishop Bashar Warda asked November 28.
“The grace of being persecuted: God shows His love and care through the solidarity being shown by those outside. Also, the suffering gives a chance to people of goodwill to show their love.”
Organized by Catholic agencies, including Knights of Columbus and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Mass was held at the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C.
A day of prayer was held on the previous Sunday for Islamic State victims, all part of “Solidarity in Suffering: A Week of Awareness for Persecuted Christians.”
The Islamic State invaded Iraq in 2014, forcing a large majority of Christians to seek refuge in or near Erbil. There, Archbishop Warda has helped displaced Christians return to their homes and has overseen a humanitarian effort to provide basic necessities for displaced communities.
Although it is not the positive will of God for his people to suffer, he said, it is an opportunity for Christians to learn how to love and to find their identity in God.
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