Guest column Mar Delly:
Guest column Mar Delly: A good and faithful servant By Junior Jwad “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master” (Mt. 25:23). These are the only words that I can truly think of while contemplating the recent death of His Eminence Cardinal Mar Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon. Mar Emmanuel lived his whole life serving others; he truly was the good and faithful servant that our Lord describes in the above passage. He was a man who contained the values of faith, peace and patriotism to his beloved Iraq. His Excellency Mar Ibrahim mentioned in his homily that from the many condolence letters he received from both religious and political dignitaries alike, all summarized the patriarch’s character in these three values. In my eyes, however, they all forgot one value that I think the Patriarch possessed: heroic. After the American invasion he refused to leave war-torn Baghdad and run. He instead persisted and continued his pastoral duties and helped all that he could. Our Patriarch truly was the good shepherd who did not run from danger, but rather gave his life to protect his flock. He truly is an example to all of us, that in times of trouble we can’t run. We must stand strong, most of all trusting in God. Whenever I saw His Eminence there was always this peace that over came me. He was so calm and laid-back that just being with him gave me peace. To me it showed that he trusted God so much that he had nothing to worry about. He left his life in Gods’ hands, and let life take its path. This trust and love of God was evident in his strong prayer life. Bishop Ibrahim recalled a story that showed how important prayer was to him. Every early morning the Patriarch would celebrate mass at the nearby Chaldean Sisters Convent. He had a habit that he would not say one word to anyone until he finished celebrating mass. Every day a nun would drive to the patriarchate to pick him up. Since he would not talk she would only know he was in the car by hearing the backseat door close. So this became her signal to begin to drive. One day the Patriarch sat in the car but before closing the door, realized he forgot something inside. He got up to go get it, unknowingly closing the door on the way. As the nun heard the sound of the door close, she began to drive. Emmanuel III Delly Junior Jwad, then 10 years old, poses with Mar Delly. Not until she arrived at the convent and saw that His Eminence was not getting out did she realize she forgot him there! This comical story shows us how spiritual the Patriarch was in his daily life. Nothing but words of prayer did the Patriarch first say after waking up in the morning. As all Chaldeans around the world mourn the death of this great leader and reminisce about their own personal accounts with Mar Emmanuel, we all know that his memory will always be alive in our church forever. I am not speaking figuratively, but literally. As tradition, while the Patriarch’s body was being processed out of the church his body was hit against the four walls of the cathedral, leaving his memory there forever while he says farewell to the church he so much served. Rest in peace Cardinal Mar Emmanuel III Delly ܥܹ ܵ ܕܬܐ ܦܘܼ ܫܝ ܠܹ ܟܼ ܝ ܒܼ ܲ ܫܠ ܵ ܡܵ ܐ: ݉ܢܵܐ ܠܝܼ ܕܐܵ ܙܹܠ ܐ Attah Posh Bishlama / Remain In Peace Oh Church Junior Jwad is a senior at Brother Rice High Catholic High School. He reads and writes Aramaic and is a server at St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church. Next year he will study at Sacred Heart Seminary. Date of Birth: September 27, 1927 Place of Birth: Telkaif Ordained as a Priest: December 21, 1952 Ordained as a Bishop: December 1962 Named Patriarch: December 3, 2003 Elevated to Cardinal: November 24, 2007 Educational Degrees: Masters in Philosophy, Ph.D. in Theology, Ph.D. in Canon Law Languages Spoken: Chaldean/Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic, French, Italian, English Date of Death: April 8, 2014 MAR DELLY continued from page 21 and personal relations with people of government he was able to help Christians of Iraq in very critical times and despite the change of governments in Iraq every now and then,” said Fr. Boji. “During the time Baghdad was being bombarded by the Allied troops in 1991, and when there were no communications or transportation, he was the only one along with the Vatican ambassador to Iraq to visit churches and to see how people are doing.” And, Fr. Boji added, “On a human level it was easy to enjoy his companionship. He was a very simple man.” “I visited him last January in San Diego where he was very well cared for by the gracious Chaldean nuns,” said Joe Kassab of the Iraqi Christians Advocacy and Empowerment Institute. “Sadly, this time I saw him frail unlike what I recall of him.” Mar Delly was a tireless advocate for Iraq’s Christians, Kassab said. “He had taken efforts to improve the population’s morale, maintain friendly relations with Islamic leaders and worked hard for the release of kidnapping victims. The Cardinal, who had been outspoken in the past about the need to protect Christians, called for unity among Iraqis of all faiths. In these difficult and enduring times, the Patriarch had to tread carefully to protect his flock.” In a telegram addressed to Mar Sako, Pope Francis recalled “with deep gratitude” the late Patriarch’s dedication to his people and to the promotion of inter-religious dialogue: “I offer you, the clergy, men and women religious and lay faithful of the Patriarchate, both in Iraq and in the diaspora, my condolences and the assurance of my prayers. I recall with deep gratitude the late Patriarch’s dedication to his people and to the promotion of respectful, just and peaceful relations with followers of other religious traditions. I join you and all who mourn the passing of this esteemed Pastor in commending his noble soul to the infinite mercy of God our loving Father, and I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and hope in the Lord.” The U. S. Embassy also expressed condolences, saying in a statement: “Cardinal Delly was a beloved leader of the Church and a courageous advocate for Iraqi national unity and religious cooperation. As we reflect on his life and legacy, we reaffirm our support to the future peace and prosperity of Iraq.” 22 CHALDEAN NEWS MAY 2014
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