BAGHDAD: In the sacristy of St. Joseph’s Chaldean Cathedral in Baghdad’s Karrada district, Rev. Nadhir Dako lets out a tired sigh.
Not only has he and his team of volunteers been working hard to prepare for the arrival of Pope Francis, he is also weary of the growing hardship faced by Iraqis in general and the Christian community in particular.
“There are no more than 150 families of faithful left” in his parish, Dako told Arab News. “All the others fled to Jordan, Turkey or Europe, and no one has been able to return because of the economic crisis or because the armed militias seized their property and their homes.”