The episcopal ordination of Fr. Younan Hano will be on February 3. In the former capital of the Islamic caliphate, the inhabitants are engaged in reconstruction and are collaborating with each other. The commitment to peace and dialogue prevails, but the economic aspect weighs heavily. “Time” is required to eradicate extremist ideology. The value of unity between the Churches and the relationship with the Chaldeans.
Mosul () – The current situation in Mosul is “very good”, the inhabitants seem to have left behind “the fear of collaborating with each other” and even for the Christians who have returned, not many yet, the climate is “favorable” for a recovery. Everyone, without distinction, “suffered” from the violence of the Islamic State, which is why now everyone is determined to participate together in the reconstruction, says Father Qusay Mubarak Abdullah (Younan) Hano, 40, elected by the Synod of the Syrian patriarchate. Catholic to be bishop of what was the “capital” of the Islamic caliphate and scene of terrible ethnic-confessional violence. “At this moment – he continues – everyone is collaborating in a perspective of peace” and all the religious components are willing to “spread the culture of peace and dialogue, even though economically Iraq is suffering a serious recession”.
The episcopal ordination is scheduled for February 3 in the great church of the Immaculate Conception of Qaraqosh, one of the most important Christian centers in the Nineveh plain, in the north of the country. That is also the birthplace of Fr. Younan Hano, on September 10, 1982. The ceremony -an important moment and one of great participation for a Church called to strengthen its presence and rebuild itself from the rubble- will be presided over by the Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians Ignace Youssif III Younan. The future bishop takes up the legacy of his predecessor Msgr. Youhanna Boutros Moshe, who led the Syrian Catholic community in Mosul during the dark years of the jihadist regime.
Fr. Hano studied nursing and later entered the seminary, first in Baghdad and then in Lebanon. At the University of the Holy Spirit he obtained a degree in philosophy and theology. He was ordained on June 29, 2011 for the Archeparchy of Mosul of the Syrians; he was vicar of the parish of Mar Jacob in Qaraqosh, personal secretary to the archbishop and with the invasion of the Nineveh Plain he cared for the displaced Syrians in the church of Mar Shimoni in Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan. He was also a professor of Holy Scripture, curator of a radio program, representative of the Iraqi Church in the Middle East Council of Churches and collaborator of the Erbil Inter-Ritual Court. In 2019 he began studies in Rome to obtain a doctorate in Biblical Theology.
“The Islamic State – he says – no longer exists as a military force”, but an “extremist ideology” has remained and “time” is needed to “eradicate” it. The presence in Mosul “lasted a long time” and “implanted” radical ideas in people’s minds. “There are still religious -he explains- who follow this extremist ideology, but in general there is a change” that is “encouraging, because it leads to building a moderate society in faith”. As for the Christians, two different realities coexist: only 70 families have returned to Mosul, while the plain is being repopulated with 7,000 families in Baghdadia, 400 in Bartella and 100 in Bashika.
At the level of the Churches, Fr. Hano considers that the relationship “is very good”, so much so that to the ordination “I have invited all” the representatives of the various denominations, taking advantage of the opportunity “to open a new page of work in common”. Especially with the Chaldeans, with whom “we are one Church”. Regarding pastoral care, the objective is to “focus on the dissemination and consolidation of the true Christian faith. Especially in the ‘re-evangelization’ of the people of my region. We must reorganize, order and teach -he continues- putting the focus on biblical interpretation”.
Lastly, the new Syrian Bishop of Mosul stresses the importance of the martyrs for the Iraqi Church, whose “memory is present among us” just as the memory of Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq in March 2021 is still alive. presence among us – he concludes – will be remembered for a long time. He [el pontífice] it revived Christian life and made us feel part of the Catholic Church. People keep him in mind and hope that he can return to our country ”
