Chaldean Patriarch and new Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly celebrated Mass yesterday in Baghdad:

Delly presided over other services this week in Baghdad and the northern Kurdish city of Irbil, spreading his message of unity and forgiveness among Iraq’s Christians.
“We are of one family, everyone should work for the progress of this country,” he said during his sermon.

The frequent target of Islamic extremists, Iraq’s Christians have been forced to flee by the tens of thousands or to isolate themselves in barricaded neighborhoods if they choose to remain.
“We pray today for the sake of each other and to forgive each other, as well to be directed to do good deeds,” Delly said. “That is my demand for the Iraqis, moreover I urge the return home for displaced people and immigrants to their ancestral land.”
Delly, 80, has been outspoken in the past about the need to protect Christians, who comprise less than 3 percent of Iraq’s 26 million people.
Many people who filled the pews at the elegant brick Church of the Virgin Mary said they were taking advantage of a lull in violence to attend services and to congratulate Delly. The imam of a nearby Shiite mosque shook hands with him in the church’s courtyard after the service.
“I came here to show the unity of the Iraqi people,” said the black-turbaned imam, Jassim al-Jazairi. “We are happy with the cardinal. We are very proud of any person, whether Christian or Muslim, who raises the name of Iraq in the international arena.”
The high attendance at the church in mainly Shiite eastern Baghdad was among several recent signs of normalcy in Iraq. Still, the security situation remains fragile in the city, where many Iraqis are still afraid to venture outside the concrete barriers erected by the U.S. military to protect volatile communities.

Now, if you would like to contribute some assistance to the Christian community in Iraq, via Aid to the Church in Need plus get a wonderful Christmas CD, head over to musician and blogger Mary Jane Ballou’s place to see how:

Looking for music that will enrich your holidays? This selection of traditional carols (and some unexpected delights) will do just that. Performed on Celtic harp and salterio, with occasional violin, “At Midnight in Bethlehem” is my latest CD. And buying won’t just benefit the musician!
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of my CD is going to relief for Iraqi Christians. Consequently, not only will you acquire beautiful music, you’ll be doing good.
Head over to Listen and hear the Iraqi Carol and a French traditional medley.