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Iraq Church Records: Difference between revisions
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In Iraq, Christians numbered about 1,500,000 in 2003, representing just over 6% of the population of 26 million (from 1.4 million or 8.5% of 16.5 million in 1987; and down from 12% in 1948 in a population of 4.8 million). Since then, it has been estimated that the number of Christians in Iraq have dropped to 500,000+. However, due to a lack of an official census, the number is difficult to estimate. The most widely followed denomination among Iraq Christians is the '''Chaldean Catholic Church'''. However, the '''Assyrian Church of the East''' plays a bold role in the demographics. Christians live primarily in Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Erbil, Dohuk, Zakho and Kirkuk and in Assyrian towns and regions such as the Nineveh Plains in the north. There are about 60,000 Iraqi-Armenians who follow either '''Armenian Orthodox''' or '''Armenian Catholics'''. There are also several thousand Arab Christians who are either '''Greek Orthodox''' or '''Melkite Catholic''', and they are largely concentrated in Baghdad. | In Iraq, Christians numbered about 1,500,000 in 2003, representing just over 6% of the population of 26 million (from 1.4 million or 8.5% of 16.5 million in 1987; and down from 12% in 1948 in a population of 4.8 million). Since then, it has been estimated that the number of Christians in Iraq have dropped to 500,000+. However, due to a lack of an official census, the number is difficult to estimate. The most widely followed denomination among Iraq Christians is the '''Chaldean Catholic Church'''. However, the '''Assyrian Church of the East''' plays a bold role in the demographics. Christians live primarily in Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Erbil, Dohuk, Zakho and Kirkuk and in Assyrian towns and regions such as the Nineveh Plains in the north. There are about 60,000 Iraqi-Armenians who follow either '''Armenian Orthodox''' or '''Armenian Catholics'''. There are also several thousand Arab Christians who are either '''Greek Orthodox''' or '''Melkite Catholic''', and they are largely concentrated in Baghdad. | ||
During the period from 2013–2017, with ISIS rapidly sweeping through Iraq's western lands, Christians fled as they feared persecution by the terrorist organization, as they were to ‘execute’ any person who did not believe in their Sunni sect. Thousands of Iraqi Christians fled to the nation's capital where they found refuge and adequate housing. Some have chosen to make Baghdad their new permanent home following the full defeat of ISIS in Iraq. Thousands have also fled to other parts of southern Iraq, such as the Shia-majority city of Najaf which housed thousands of Christians in holy Islamic shrines once they fled from ISIS. A large population have also returned to their homes en masse following the defeat of ISIS and were able to celebrate Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter in safety with the protection of the NPU and its allies.<ref> Wikipedia contributors, "Christianity in Iraq", in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Iraq, accessed 11 April 2020. </ref><br> | During the period from 2013–2017, with ISIS rapidly sweeping through Iraq's western lands, Christians fled as they feared persecution by the terrorist organization, as they were to ‘execute’ any person who did not believe in their Sunni sect. Thousands of Iraqi Christians fled to the nation's capital where they found refuge and adequate housing. Some have chosen to make Baghdad their new permanent home following the full defeat of ISIS in Iraq. Thousands have also fled to other parts of southern Iraq, such as the Shia-majority city of Najaf which housed thousands of Christians in holy Islamic shrines once they fled from ISIS. A large population have also returned to their homes en masse following the defeat of ISIS and were able to celebrate Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter in safety with the protection of the NPU and its allies. | ||
The majority of the Iraqi Christians belong to the branches of Syriac Christianity whose followers are mostly ethnic Assyrians adhering to both the '''East Syriac Rite and West Syriac Rite''':<br> | |||
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Syriac Orthodox Church<br> | |||
Assyrian Church of the East<br> | |||
Ancient Church of the East<br> | |||
Syriac Catholic Church<br> | |||
Chaldean Catholic Church<br> | |||
Assyrian Evangelical Church<br> | |||
Assyrian Pentecostal Church<br> | |||
<br> | |||
'''Churches of the Armenian rite'''<br> | |||
Followers of these churches are exclusively ethnic Armenians, using Armenian Rite:<br> | |||
<br> | |||
Armenian Apostolic Church<br> | |||
Armenian Catholic Church<br> | |||
<br> | |||
'''Churches of the Byzantine rite'''<br> | |||
Followers of these churches are an ethnic mix known as Melkites:<br> | |||
<br> | |||
Melkite Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baghdad<br> | |||
Melkite Catholic Church under Patriarchal Exarchate of Iraq<br> | |||
<br> | |||
'''Other churches and communities'''<br> | |||
Roman Catholic Church (Roman rite)<br> | |||
Protestant churches<ref> Wikipedia contributors, "Christianity in Iraq", in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Iraq, accessed 11 April 2020. </ref><br> | |||
==Information Recorded in the Records== | ==Information Recorded in the Records== | ||