by Chorbishop Martin Dawood

First of all, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to visit Egypt, a country steeped in history and civilization… It holds a significant place in my faith and religious history, and there is so much to learn simply by breathing its air, walking on its soil, and getting to know its people. I am deeply honored to be among you today.

I would like to speak to you about my own country, Iraq, where we experience religious, ethnic, cultural and social diversity. We have gone through times of conflict and fighting, under many names, the main one being caused by religious differences.

Religion and this diversity of expressing God and His glory have been exploited in a terrible way, resulting in the senseless shedding of blood with no understandable or acceptable reason. Despite all that has happened, we have survived and passed through the dark tunnel towards peace and tranquility… Yes, we have witnessed and seen peace, my brothers, in a world that lives through endless upheavals and conflicts…

We would not have been able to survive without the guidance of the Spirit… Without the mercy that God has planted within us… Without the faith that God exists and watches over our actions, disciplining us through the change that we have witnessed in the details of our daily relationships with others, at work, on the streets, in the café, in the church, in the mosque and in all that surrounds us… We have been witnesses to the fact that He is the disciplining Spirit that brought us together in the upper room to learn in prayer with God and with ourselves… He made us look into our depths and discover the Spirit that lives within us…

God has created us as diverse beings to bear witness to His glory and greatness. It’s the journey of creation that God intended for us to be diverse. He is the only One, the One and Only, while we are different and diverse. That’s humanity’s strength. Relationships are formed among those who are different, and God has taught us this from the beginning of creation. He created us as male and female, differentiated in form, yet at the same time, He united us through faith in Him…

Can we realize how much God desires to always see His Oneness through our differences? We can define this with divine mercy, and we can also define it as divine longing for a relationship with the created beings? This longing is the driving force of existence, and you can call it whatever you want, but in truth and essence, it is one thing: it is God.

Certainly, my faith in the cross has given me a message not only about God, but also about humanity. The more we understand who humans are, the deeper we can delve into the depths of God… Every time we release the spiritual energy lying within humans, we are able to marvel at the greatness of God… Everyone is called to carry God’s message to the world in their own way and with their own words… and that message is one of love and nothing else.

I began my speech by recalling a difficult period we went through in Iraq, so that we do not forget how easily humans can neglect their sacred mission to the world and instead carry a message of destruction and darkness. We must truly be aware of this and bear the responsibility as messengers in this world…

In moments of human weakness, we must seek the mercy of God because it is His mercy that sustains us, nurtures us, and never lets us fall into the depths of darkness. Instead, it illuminates us, opens our hearts before our eyes, enlightens our thoughts before our reasoning, and fills us with love before our selfishness. This is what we must rely on, the divine mercy… It truly binds us for the glory of God.

I hold deep gratitude in my heart for a time filled with faith, hope, prayer, love, and may the Lord bless us and use us for the glory of His holy name… Amen