Ancient Chaldean Church vandalized in Northern Iraq | Shalom World News
An ancient witness of Chaldean Christian faith in Iraq has been desecrated in Sharanish, a historic Christian village near Zakho, close to the Iraq–Turkey border. Video from inside Mar Kiriakos Church shows extensive vandalism, with sacred spaces damaged and church property destroyed. The incident has left the local community mourning the incident, which is another blow to a village that has endured years of instability and displacement. Sharanish, home to the Chaldean churches of Mart Shmune and Mar Kiriakos, remains a symbol of the ancient Christian presence in Mesopotamia. As investigations continue, the faithful hold on to a message carried through centuries: a wounded church can still be a living testimony of faith.
Who are the Christians of Iraq? A long history in a nutshell
Who are the Christians of Iraq? A long history …
Modern Iraq covers most of the area of ancient Mesopotamia, which was home to the East Semitic Assyrian and Babylonian empires.
The Old Testament records the fall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (612 BC), as well as the invasion of Babylon by Cyrus the Great of Persia (539 BC). After a period of Greek rule following the conquests of Alexander the Great (4th to 2nd centuries BC), Mesopotamia was again under Persian (Parthian) rule at the time of Jesus and the Apostles.
Aramaic was the main language spoken in the entire area at the time Jesus walked the earth. A close relative of Hebrew, Aramaic was the language of the ancient West Semitic Arameans, who brought it to Mesopotamia from what is now Syria. With its handy alphabetic writing, Aramaic gradually replaced Assyrian and Babylonian cuneiform, becoming the lingua franca of the Middle East. It is still spoken today by many Iraqi Christians.
Christian Mesopotamia
When and how did Christianity spread to Mesopotamia?
We know that there were Parthians and Mesopotamians—ancient Iraqis—present in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:9). And it is possible, if not probable, that some knowledge or version of Christianity made its way to what is now Iraq during the lifetime of the Apostles. Tradition identifies the apostles of Mesopotamia as Addai and Mari, after whom the ancient liturgy of the Church of the East is named.
The Teaching of Addai, an important document from around 400 AD, suggests that miracles (such as healings), reasoned arguments (against polytheism), and new ethical standards laid the groundwork for the spread of Christianity throughout Mesopotamia. As happened in the West, the blood of martyrs also proved to be the seed of the Church in this region.
Church of the East
“The Church of the East” refers to the church that organized itself in the Persian empire. Under the Zoroastrian Persians, Christians were sometimes cruelly persecuted, while at other times they enjoyed recognition as a respectable, minority religion.
The Church of the East, with its patriarchs residing at the Persian capital, Seleucia-Ctesiphon, held its own Councils in the early 5th century.
At these Councils, the Church accepted the Nicene Creed but ended up asserting its independence from the Western Church for political reasons. These included loyalty to the Persian shah, who was often at war with the neighboring Byzantines.
East and West Syriacs
From the 5th to 6th centuries on, the Aramaic-speaking or Syriac Christians of Iraq were split into two groups, following the Christological controversies concerning the union of the human and divine natures in Christ.
The Church of the East, which did not attend the Council of Ephesus (431) or endorse its condemnation of Nestorius, received the name “Nestorian”. Another faction, called “Jacobite” (after Jacob Baradaeus), was born out of the Syrian-Antiochene Monophysite rejection of the Council of Chalcedon (451).
Besides their theological differences, the Syriac script and dialects also diverged, contributing to the development of the West Syriac (Jacobite) and East Syriac (Nestorian) literary and liturgical traditions.
In the Middle Ages, during the Islamic Abbasid empire, the Nestorian patriarchs resided in the new capital, Baghdad. Here, they were close to the caliphs, with whom the patriarchs sometimes engaged in interreligious dialogue and debate. The most famous example of this is the dialogue which Patriarch Timothy I held with the caliph Al-Mahdi.
The Jacobite Catholicos (also known as maphrian) resided in Tikrit, or at the impressive Mar Mattai Monastery near Mosul. The most eminent Jacobite Catholicos was Barhebraeus, an encyclopedic scholar of the 13th century.
Starobylý chaldejský kostol v severnom Iraku bol poškodený: Historický chaldejský katolícky kostol Mar Kiriakos v dedine Sharanish neďaleko mesta Zakho v severnom Iraku bol nedávno poškodený. Videá zverejnené v polovici júna 2026 ukazujú škody vo vnútri kostola. Kostol Mar Kiriakos, ktorého vek sa odhaduje na viac ako 400 rokov, je jedným z dvoch historických chaldejských katolíckych kostolov v Sharanishi. Páchatelia zatiaľ neboli verejne identifikovaní.
Igreja caldeia antiga vandalizada no norte do Iraque: A histórica Igreja Católica Caldeia de Mar Kiriakos, na aldeia de Sharanish, perto de Zakho, no norte do Iraque, foi recentemente vandalizada. Vídeos divulgados em meados de junho de 2026 mostram os danos no interior da igreja. Mar Kiriakos, que se acredita ter mais de 400 anos, é uma das duas igrejas católicas caldeias históricas em Sharanish. Ainda não foram identificados publicamente quaisquer responsáveis.
Zniszczono starożytny kościół chaldejski w północnym Iraku: Zabytkowy kościół chaldejsko-katolicki św. Kiriakosa we wsi Sharanish, niedaleko Zakho w północnym Iraku, został niedawno zniszczony. Filmy opublikowane w połowie czerwca 2026 r. pokazują zniszczenia wewnątrz kościoła. Kościół Mar Kiriakos, którego wiek szacuje się na ponad 400 lat, jest jednym z dwóch zabytkowych kościołów chaldejskich w miejscowości Sharanish. Jak dotąd nie zidentyfikowano publicznie sprawców tego czynu.
Antica chiesa caldea vandalizzata nel nord dell’Iraq: la storica chiesa cattolica caldea di Mar Kiriakos, situata nel villaggio di Sharanish, nei pressi di Zakho, nel nord dell’Iraq, è stata recentemente vandalizzata. I video diffusi a metà giugno 2026 mostrano i danni all’interno della chiesa. Mar Kiriakos, che si ritiene abbia più di 400 anni, è una delle due chiese cattoliche caldee storiche presenti a Sharanish. Non sono stati ancora identificati pubblicamente i responsabili.
Rongálás ért egy ősi kaldeai templomot Észak-Irakban: A történelmi Mar Kiriakos kaldeai katolikus templomot, amely az észak-iraki Zakho közelében fekvő Sharanish faluban található, nemrég megrongálták. A 2026. június közepén közzétett videók a templom belsejében keletkezett károkat mutatják. A Mar Kiriakos, amelynek kora feltehetően meghaladja a 400 évet, Sharanish két történelmi kaldeai katolikus templomának egyike. Az elkövetőket egyelőre nem azonosították nyilvánosan.
Una antigua iglesia caldea, objeto de actos vandálicos en el norte de Irak: La histórica iglesia católica caldea de Mar Kiriakos, situada en la localidad de Sharanish, cerca de Zakho, en el norte de Irak, ha sido objeto recientemente de actos vandálicos. Los vídeos difundidos a mediados de junio de 2026 muestran los daños en el interior de la iglesia. Mar Kiriakos, cuya antigüedad se estima en más de 400 años, es una de las dos iglesias católicas caldeas históricas de Sharanish. Todavía no se ha identificado públicamente a los autores de los hechos.
Alte chaldäische Kirche im Nordirak verwüstet: Die historische chaldäisch-katholische Kirche „Mar Kiriakos“ im Dorf Sharanish in der Nähe von Zakho im Nordirak wurde kürzlich verwüstet. Mitte Juni 2026 veröffentlichte Videos zeigen Schäden im Inneren der Kirche. Mar Kiriakos, deren Alter auf über 400 Jahre geschätzt wird, ist eine von zwei historischen chaldäisch-katholischen Kirchen in Sharanish. Bislang wurden noch keine Täter öffentlich identifiziert.
Oh nein, das tut weh! Gebe Gott den dort für die Kirche Verantwortlichen die Kraft und den Mut, zur Ehre Gottes neu zu beginnen.
Une ancienne église chaldéenne vandalisée dans le nord de l'Irak: L'église catholique chaldéenne historique Mar Kiriakos, située dans le village de Sharanish, près de Zakho, dans le nord de l'Irak, a récemment été vandalisée. Des vidéos diffusées à la mi-juin 2026 montrent les dégâts à l'intérieur de l'église. Mar Kiriakos, dont on estime qu'elle a plus de 400 ans, est l'une des deux églises catholiques chaldéennes historiques de Sharanish. Aucun auteur n'a encore été identifié publiquement.
Ancient Chaldean Church vandalized in Northern Iraq: The historic Mar Kiriakos Chaldean Catholic Church in the village of Sharanish, near Zakho in northern Iraq, was recently vandalized. Videos released in mid-June 2026 show damage inside the church. Mar Kiriakos, believed to be more than 400 years old, is one of two historic Chaldean Catholic churches in Sharanish. No perpetrators have yet been publicly identified.
Churches in communion with Rome
Who are the Christians of Iraq? A long history …
After periods of Mongol, Turkoman, and Safavid rule, Mesopotamia fell under the Ottomans, whose empire lasted until the First World War in the early 20th century.
It was during the Ottoman period that the East and West Syriac Churches – the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Syriac (or Syrian) Catholic Church, respectively – were formed.
The Syriac Catholic Church was created when a Jacobite patriarch united with Rome in the 18th century. The Bishops who did not enter into full communion with Rome formed the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Today’s Chaldean Catholic Church dates from 1830, when the historical patriarchate of the Church of the East was united with an earlier Chaldean branch created in the 17th century. An even-earlier Chaldean union from the 16th century subsequently separated from Rome and developed into what are today the Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the East.
Rich history
To put it briefly, Iraq has a uniquely rich Aramaic, or Syriac, Christian history.
In this land are found two West Syriac and three East Syriac communities, as well as two communities in communion with the Bishop of Rome and three Churches which are not.
And no mention has been made of the other ethnic (Armenian and Coptic) and Protestant minorities!
Yet, during persecutions, pandemics, and papal visits, Iraqi Christians will certainly resonate with Jesus’ words: “You are all brothers” (Mt 23:8).