Several years ago I had the privilege of being able to study in Rome
for three years. While I was there I lived in the Pontifical Irish College,
which is both a seminary and post-graduate college. As there
are not enough Irish students to fill the college, it is now an
international college. For one of my years there we had
students from 23 different countries. This makes for a great
cultural experience and it gave me a great sense of the universal Church. I found myself studying and living with other young
men from all parts of the world. We came from many very
different cultures, but we all shared the same faith and the same
enthusiasm to make Jesus Christ known to other people. It was very
inspiring to live in such an environment, although of course it also
had its moments as we had very different ways of doing things.
One man who was my next door neighbour for a year
and a half, was Fr. Ragheed Ganni from Iraq. I didn’t even know
there were Catholics in Iraq until I met him. He was a young,
highly talented and very likable priest. He was from the city
of Nineveh in northern Iraq, which is the modern day city of Nineveh
(Remember the prophet Jonah was sent to the people of Nineveh).
Ragheed completed all his studies for priesthood in Rome, since if he
returned to Iraq during his studies he may not have been able to
leave again to complete them. So he studied in Rome, living in
the Irish College and spent many summers in Ireland.
During our time there the American invasion of Iraq
took place and the over-throwing of Sadam Hussein. This was a
very difficult and stressful time for Ragheed as he watched his
country being torn apart, while daily wondering if his
family were safe or not. Having someone in the room next to me
who was going through this made the war very real. Just before
the war started I asked him as an Iraqi what were his fears about
what would happen. He said that the problem was not so much
when the Americans took over, as when they later pulled out. He
said that then there would be civil war between the different Muslim factions and the Christians would be
wiped out. That is exactly what happened.
In 2003 Ragheed returned to Iraq. It was now a
very different country to the one he had left. To get into the
country he told me that he had to fly into Syria and then take a bus
across the border. I received a few emails from him after he
returned. He said that there was a curfew almost every night
and that it was becoming more and more difficult for the Christian
community there. One day he sent me an email with photos of his
church on fire. He said that gunmen had come in and taken him
out at gunpoint. He thought he was going to be shot, but
instead they blew up the church. Ragheed was able to return to
Rome at least twice over the next three years, and I met him on one
of those visits. He had put on some weight, and he said that
this was because he could not go outside to exercise, as it was too
dangerous. As time passed more and more of his parishioners
began to leave and those of us who knew him worried for his safety.
Whoever could afford to leave the parish got out.
Ragheed knew
that staying on in Iraq was becoming increasingly dangerous, but he
believed that that was where God was asking him to be. In spite
of death threats and the obvious danger, he continued to minister to
his people and they continued to come to pray and celebrate Mass.
One of the neighbouring churches was hit by a car bomb killing two
people and injuring many. The bishop’s house was blown up and
Ragheed’s sister was injured by a grenade which was thrown at her
while she was going to clean the church in preparation for Sunday
mass. In spite of this Ragheed and the other priests continued
to minister to their people.
On 3rd June, 2007 I received a phone call
from a friend to tell me the terrible news that Ragheed along with
three others, had been shot dead the day before. He had just
finished celebrating the Mass and was leaving the church with another
sub-deacon. Two other sub-deacons and the wife of one of them
were in the car behind. One year later the woman and only
survivor, Bayan Adam Bella, had the courage to speak out. Here
are some excerpts from an interview she gave to Ankawa.com.
‘At a certain point
the car was stopped by armed men. Fr. Ragheed could have fled
but he did not want to, because he knew they were looking for him.
They forced us to get out of the car and led me away. Then one
of the killers screamed at Ragheed,
“I told you to close
the church. Why didn’t you do it? Why are you still
here?” And he simply responded,
“How can I close the
house of God?”
They immediately pushed
him to the ground, and Ragheed had only enough time to gesture to me
with his head that I should run away. Then they opened fire and
killed all four of them.’ At this point Bayan fainted.
Ragheed Ganni was 35 when he was shot dead and
had been a priest for just 6 years.
In the second reading from this Sunday’s mass
(Apocalypse 7:9, 14-17) we hear of the great numbers of people who
stand before the Lamb holding palms in their hands. When the
writer asks who they are he is told,
‘These are the people who
have been through the great persecution and because they have washed
their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in
front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary;
and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.’
A few years after Ragheed’s death the chapel in
the Irish College in Rome was redecorated by the artist Fr. Marko
Rupnik (see the photo above). Behind the altar there is a breath-taking mosaic with
Christ the Good Shepherd at the centre with several saints on either
side including Fr. Ragheed Ganni to the far right holding the
martyr’s palm. I always find it very moving to see this image
having known Ragheed myself.
In different parts of the world many people continue
to put their lives at risk in order to pass on the teachings of
Christ as he asked us to. Many, including Ragheed, have payed
with their lives. Although it is painful for me to think of
Ragheed’s death, it is also a great source of strength and
encouragement. ‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians’ -Tertullian. Jesus told us we would be persecuted for
following him, but he also told us that he is the Good Shepherd who
continues to guide and look after us. That doesn’t mean that
we won’t suffer, but it does mean that he is always with us.
Even though none of us want to have to suffer for our faith, what
could be more important than to be faithful to Jesus? He is the
one who makes sense of why we are here. Without him we are
nothing.
‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice.
I know them and they follow me.’