Iraqi Christians hold Christmas Mass, hope for peace and stability скачать в хорошем качестве

Iraqi Christians hold Christmas Mass, hope for peace and stability

(24 Dec 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Nineveh Plains, Hamdaniya, Iraq - 24 December 2025 1. Christians gathered for Christmas Mass in Mar Bahnam Church in Hamdaniya 2. Mass ceremony inside the church 3. Various of people attending church for Christmas mass 4. Various of service 5. Various of nativity scene display ++NIGHT SHOT++ 6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rony Salim, chancellor of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul and Nineveh Plains: “My wishes for the year 2026 through the prayers and Masses that we held are first, the prevail of peace and security in our country of Iraq. Second, the return of Iraq to the way it was, a strong, capable, and independent Iraq that can take its own decisions and be able to build itself, and the third point, which is the most important point and would benefit us in the coming stage, is the formation of a government that can feel the (suffering) of Iraqi people, an honest Iraqi government.” 7. Various of people praying 8. Priests during Mass 9. Various of people attending Mass ++NIGHT SHOT++ 10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Safaa Sabih, resident of Hamdaniya: “I wish for peace to prevail especially in Iraq and the world, and for violence to be ended. This is the best wish that I can make. Also, I wish good for my family and for everyone else.” ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 11. Various of service outside 12. Various of priests and people lighting fire 13. Mid of fire lit outside the church 14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Maram Mikhael, resident of Hamdaniya: “This fire torch is collected from branches of the olive tree, as Jesus Christ used to pray by an olive tree. So, we collected these from gardens around Baghdeda (Qaraqosh). We collected and burned it here. The fire torch symbolizes the light that makes us happy.” 15. Various of Christmas celebrations outside the church STORYLINE: Christians in Iraq's Nineveh Plains attended Christmas Mass on Wednesday and prayed for peace and stability in Iraq. “My wishes for the year 2026 through the prayers and Masses that we held are first, the prevail of peace and security in our country of Iraq," said Rony Salim, chancellor of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Mosul and Nineveh Plains. Iraq's Christians, whose presence there goes back nearly to the time of Christ, belong to a number of rites and denominations. The Chaldean Catholic is the largest, along with Syriac Catholics, Assyrians and several Orthodox churches. They once constituted a sizeable minority in Iraq, estimated at around 1.4 million. But the community has steadily dwindled since the 2003 US-led invasion. “I wish for peace to prevail especially in Iraq and the world, and for violence to be ended," said Safaa Sabih, a resident of Hamdaniya in Nineveh Plains. Christians have been targeted by Islamic extremists on several occasions and have also fled the country for better economic opportunities. They received a further blow when the Islamic State group in 2014 swept through northern Iraq, including traditionally Christian towns across the Nineveh plains. The exact number of Christians left in Iraq is unclear, but they are thought to number several hundred thousand. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...