Abuna Bashar Khtea: A role model of faith

 Abuna Bashar Khtea: A role model of faith

Bashar Khtea, a chaldean-catholic priest from the Nineva-Plains is one of those iraqi priests that can be role-models of faith for us.

As hundreds of thousands of other assyro-aramean Christians he hat to flee from his village in the Ninive-Palins in August 2014 and found shelter in Ankawa, the mostly Christian-inhabited city in the periphery of Erbil, the north-iraqian capital.

Families from his village and surrounding villages gathered around him. Together they moved to "Shebab Merkez"-Camp outside of Ankawa. A camp of container homes around a hall that was used as church. Before going there, the displaced people had had to live in tents for some months.

In "Schebab Merkez" about 150 families were living under very umcomfortable circumstances, quite different to e.g. Ashti2-Camp, where there are real roads between the container-homes, "Shebab Merkez" was built at a narrow plave, allowing only small pathways between the containers.

I met Abuna Abuna Bashar Khtea on Palm Sunday of 2016 - my friend from nearby camp "Amal Hope Center" had invited me (and August) to take part in the Holy Mass and the Celebrations of Palm Sunday at "Shebab Merkez".

It was a morning with cold, strong wind. When Holy Mass was finished, the wind blew rain through the camp. And there was w moment of consideration. But then Abuna Bashar announced: No, we despite the bad weather conditions we will walk the procession.

So the parish walked singing through the rain, around the whole camp - maybe a little bit fast than they had done with good weather. But that was not what counted.

It was just the other way round: For me, as a western European, where Palm Sunday usually consists of a very short "procession", which will never lead through rainy weather, this was a strong testimony of faith! First some children, then the Abuna with the cross, then the parish people. And it was feelable, how deep his love to the crucified Lord is. A love, that is a source of power for him.

The deep inner joy in his voice and his eyes, when he intonated the worship songs after the procession - oh, how much would i appreciate to have some priests like him here in Europe!

The priests of Iraq, they have a very deep face. They are challenged with managing worldly things even more as our European priests are, as the quite often have to manage the circumstances of daily life for their flock. But they always have an open ear for the questions and needs of their people. They give advice, they encourage - and from their heart they spread love and joy in Jesus.

Yes, i was very thankful that we, the strangers, were welcome in love and allowed to join the celebrations.

In June i wanted to visit Abuna Bashar again. But Camp "Schebab Merkez" was not existing any more. I was told, that the displaced persons of the camp were able to move to small new built houses the church has built for them.´The camp was closed and dismantled. I was sad i did not find the time to search for Abuna Bashar Khtea. But as soon a s possible i will - if God alows - visit hom and some of his faithful to see and hear, how they are.