Reuters North American News Service, November 23rd, 2007
VATICAN CITY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A prelate from Iraq about
to be made a cardinal said on Friday Pope Benedict had told him
he hoped his elevation would help reconciliation among
Christians and Muslims in his country.
Emmanuel III Delly, the Baghdad-based Patriarch of Babylon
of the Chaldeans, is one of 23 Roman Catholic prelates who will
be raised to the rank of cardinal by the Pope on Saturday.
"He said to me: 'I hope that this gesture will be a sign of
reconciliation ... especially among Sunnis, Shi'ites and
Christians, because Iraq is a country dear to me,'" Delly told a
news conference after meeting the Pontiff earlier in the day.
The Chaldeans are Iraq's biggest Christian group and the
Chaldean rite is one of the most ancient of the Catholic Church.
Many Iraqi Chaldeans have emigrated since the war started.
In the past, Delly has warned that the Middle East, the
birthplace of Christianity, could be emptied of its Christians
because so many leave to escape the violence there.
At the news conference, however, he said he wanted his
elevation to the elite ranks of the Church to be seen as an
honour for all Iraqis, regardless of their religion.
"A car bomb does not kill only Christians or Muslims, it
kills everybody," the 80-year-old said.
Delly also appealed to Iraqis who have left to return to
help rebuild the counttry.
He refused to be drawn on political aspects of the Iraqi
conflict, merely asking the international community to help
build peace there.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella, editing by Andrew Roche)
