Heads of Christian communities of Iraq proclaim November 22 'a day of universal prayer and fast'

The heads of the Christian communities of Iraq have proclaimed Friday, November 22nd, a day of "universal prayer and fast." "We shall pray to Our Lord that he preserve Iraq and help its people avoid calamities," says an appeal of the heads of Christian communities, which was published in the Iraqi paper Al-Jumhuriya on Thursday.

Divine services will be held in all churches in Iraq on Friday (a day off in Iraq) at 5 p.m.

Christians account for about 3% of Iraq's population. They live mainly in the northern parts of the country (the town of Mosul) and in Baghdad. The most numerous among the Christians in Iraq are the Chaldeans. Their patriarch whom the episcopates in Iran, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon are subordinated to, resides in Baghdad. The Chaldeans are followed by Siro-Catholics.

The Orthodox Church is also represented in Iraq, a religion which most of the Assyrians living in the country profess. Administratively the Iraqi Orthodox Church is subordinated to the Patriarch of Antioch who has his residence in Damascus.