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Celebration of Corpus Christi in Iraq, 1920, attended by Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Armenians.

Armenian church in Northern Iraq

The Christians of Iraq are considered a minority population, and number about 636,000 in 2005, representing 3% of the population of the country. Almost 400,000 had fled to other countries. They numbered over 1 million in 1980 or 7% of the population. It is one of the oldest Christian communities of the Middle East.

Christian Communities

• Chaldean Catholic Church - The majority of the Iraqi Christians belongs to the Chaldean Catholic Church and represents 350,000 persons.
• Assyrian Church of the East
• Ancient Church of the East
• Syriac Orthodox Church
• Syriac Catholic Church

The Churches of the Armenian rite

• Armenian Apostolic Church
• Armenian Catholic Church

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Current situation

A church in Baghdad.

On January 26, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI confirmed the election of Armenian Mgr Emmanuel Dabbaghian as archbishop of Baghdad. Dabbaghian was born in Aleppo, Syria in 1933, and was ordained a priest in 1967.

In Iraq, the Christians are suffering from the lack of security since the invasion in 2003.

Relations with non-Christians

An article from the Italian periodical Chiesa, dated June 2, 2007 explains the situation of the Christians, particularly of Christian-majority quarter of Dora quarter 10 kilometres to the South-West from the capital.

References

See also

Christianity in Iraq (.it)

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