God called him through the blood of the martyrs - the story of a 3rd millennium vocation in Iraq

God called him through the blood of the martyrs

Abuna Martin banni after his ordination, Sept. 9, 2016

 Some years ago a young man from Qaramles, a small town in the Nineva-plains, nearby to Mosul, decided to follow God´s call and become a priest.

It´s been an unusual step for a young man of 18 who lives in Iraq, a country, where Christins have been diminuished towards being a small minority oft he population. At the time the young man made his decision, in end of 2009, beginning 2010, hundreds of thousands of Christians had already left Iraq and emigrated to Europe, the US or Canada, searching for a better life there.

Far too many oft hem had been violated, abducted, threatened and murdered – and the number of martyred Christians that were killed only because of their faith had been rapidly increasing since Al-Kaida had started operating in Iraq in 2003.

A´buna Martin in the square of Qaramles IDP camp

At the time Martin, that young man, decided to follow God´s call to priesthood, i knew nothing about Christians in Iraq. I was knowing nothing about Iraq at all… Well, of course, i had heard of Ninive in the holy Bible. But for me that was very far away past. Euphrates, Tigris, Mesopotamia… so far, far away back in ancient times. And Iraq: well, i knew there were Saddam Hussein, Baath party – and war. A lot of war and destruction. Just far away, so far away, that it was absolutely out of my interest.

I think Martin lived like all the boys of his age, when he was growing up in Qaramles, an assyrian christian village quite near to Mosul, near the Tigris river. Visiting catechetic lessons, learning Syriac, the old language oft he church and how to sing the liturgical chants. And sure he joind the liturgic service. And  somewhen it happened that a special relation with Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul started.

Martin tells me that the day after he was ordained priest, when i visited him at „Qaramles IDP-Camp“ in Ankawa, as were standing in the large square oft he camp, near the large banner depicting Archbishop Paulus Faraj Rahho. „My bishop“, he says, „was again and again asking me, when i will be entering the seminary, when i was in an age of 15, 16.“ It looks like the archbishop had realized something. Had realized, that there was a boy with a special vocation within the youth of his diocese.

The poster depicting Fr. Ragheed Ganni and Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho

At that time Martin used to hear that repeated question, but he could not imagine to really become a priest. Then, on 3rd of June 2007, the chaldean priest Fr. Ragheed Ganni and three deacons were shot by Al-Kaidas terrorists in Mosul. It was a shocking incident, that was surely more frightening, than encouraging for Martin, when he was considering about what was the right way for him to go.

Some month later, in the last days of February 2008, archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho was kidnapped by Al-Kaida. His three guards were shot. The corpse oft he archbishop was found weeks later in the trunk of a car. He had been warned and threatened, but he stood up for his faith. And he became a martyr for Jesus Christ. The martyrium of archbishop Rahho was the turning point for Martin. He remembered his questions, asking him „Martin, when will you entert he seminary?“ And now he knew: YES, God called him – it was loud and clear – he had to become priest. So he entered the seminary.

When the terrorists oft he Islamic State stormed the Ninive-plains in August 2014 and came towards Qaramles, Martin was there, as he visited his family. It was holidays, the time oft he great summer heat, when temperatures us to rise up to 50° Celsius or more. The inhabitants of Qaramles fled in a hurry, had no time to take anything with them, just the clothes they wore, to get into security. Nobody was thinking about the church and Jesus being thzere in the tabernacle.

It was Martin, the young seminarist, who went tot he church, bringing himself into great danger, opened the tabernacle, took the most Holy Sacrament out and brought it to Ankawa to prevent it from desecration by the islamists…

Martin on the way to spend out Holy Communion during the ordiantion mass

That deed pointed out the determination, still (or even more) visible today in Martins speech and actions. You feel it, you realize it, when he stands there in the large square oft he IDP-camp, surrounded by children, saying: Please, pray, that Mosul and the Ninive-Plains will soon be liberated, as we want to go back to Mosul and the Ninive-plains. They are our home and destination!“

Martin Banni, chaldean Christian, lives in an IDP-camp in Ankawa, Iraq. September 9th 2016 he was ordained pries in Ankawa by Patriarc Louis Raphael Sako. He is a living testimony showing the fruits the suffering and persecuted martyrs-church of Iraq is bearing.

Yesterday, September 22nd 2016, Martin Banni celebrated his 25th birthday. May God bless him!

Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako ordaining Martin Banni and Awakem Isleiwa

New ordained priests Martin banni and Awakem Isleiwa

The author with Abuna Martin Banni

Abuna Martin: Under the cross, surrounded by children...