Archbishop Returns to Lead Iraq's Chaldean Church a Decade After Fleeing ISIS
Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona is returning to Iraq to lead the Chaldean Church, more than ten years after fleeing Mosul when ISIS seized the city. He will be installed as Archbishop of Iraq on May 29. He says the persecution he endured strengthened his faith.
Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona is going home.
More than a decade after fleeing Mosul when ISIS took control of the city, the archbishop is returning to Iraq to lead the Chaldean Church. His installation as Archbishop of Iraq is set for May 29.
Nona left Mosul in 2014 when ISIS fighters swept through the region and drove out the city's Christian population. He has spent the years since serving the diaspora and speaking internationally about the plight of Iraqi Christians.
In a statement ahead of his return, Nona said the persecution he and his community endured did not break their faith. He said it deepened it.
The Chaldean Church is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, with roots in ancient Mesopotamia. Its membership in Iraq has dropped sharply over the past two decades due to war, sectarian violence, and emigration. Estimates suggest the Christian population in Iraq has fallen from more than 1.5 million before 2003 to fewer than 300,000 today.
Nona's return is being seen by many in the community as a sign of hope and a commitment to rebuilding Christian life in the country.
