Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa, archeparch of the Syrian Catholics in Mosul, attended the congress briefly before returning home because of the ongoing battles between U.S. forces and rebels in the area.
Before leaving Guadalajara, he spoke to the press, including El Semanario, an archdiocesan publication which is producing a daily edition for participants during the congress.
«I want to cry out in this congress,» the archbishop said. «I want the voice of oppressed peoples to be heard and that all, primarily politicians, listen to it: Let not the peoples be wood to be burned in furnaces.»
He said he hoped the International Eucharistic Congress «will make us [Iraqi Catholics] come out of ourselves, to feel the suffering of others, and to cry out for the cause of all those who suffer, especially the right of peoples to live in peace.»
Archbishop Casmoussa said, «The presence of Christ cannot be real in our lives, if we are not in communion with others, especially those who suffer most and are in difficulty.»
