In March, The Catholic Register sent Associate Editor Michael Swan to Syria and Lebanon to chronicle the unfolding tragedy of the Christian cleansing of Iraq. It was an ambitious undertaking, but one we felt compelled to undertake.
Archbishop Thomas Collins has called the persecution of Iraqi Christians “an issue of profound moral importance.” Because they are Christian, they are being threatened, beaten, violated and sometimes killed. Forced to run, their homes are often occupied, their businesses shut down, their churches bombed. Yet their persecution is largely unreported.
Inside this special section are stories and photos of distraught families that Swan broke bread with in Lebanon and Syria, as well as the heartening stories of some who made it to Canada. Swan also reviews the historic and political background and looks at how the church, governments and other agencies are responding to the crisis.
Meanwhile, Register reporters in Toronto examined the important work of the Office for Refugees of the Archdiocese of Toronto (ORAT), which has helped several parishes sponsor refugees and has ambitious plans to welcome many more. In addition to our newspaper coverage, Swan has created a multi-media presentation of photos and narrative that is well worth seeing on our web site, www.catholicregister.org.
As Catholics, we should be informed about the plight of our brothers in faith, and as Christians feel a duty to respond.
Jim O’Leary
Publisher and Editor
Please See...
- A lens in the labyrinth of the refugee slums
- Iraqi refugees prisoners in their Christian locales
- Deborah Amos no longer recognizes Middle East she has known since 1983
- A stranger in a strange land appreciates the peace it brings
- Mississauga parish helps families adjust to a new life
- Archdiocese of Toronto Office for Refugees after 15 short years
- More efficiency needed for Iraqi refugee resettlement
- Little miracles make up Martin Mark's ministry of hope
- 12 per cent of world's refugees from Iraq
- Family caught in Lebanese limbo
- Iraq has always been a nation of diverse communities
- Dream is not shattered
- For Christian refugees, 'There is no future in Iraq'
- Past the point of no return
- ANALYSIS : Christians are essential to Middle East's future
- Exodus Iraq: A flight to safety, a cry for help