Chaldean Church Resumes Limited Worship in Baghdad Churches

The Chaldean Church, which is united with Rome, plans to return gradually to public worship in the churches of Baghdad, beginning with Sunday.

The Patriarchate announced on Friday that priests may celebrate up to three Masses. The maximum number of participants depends on the size of each church and will not exceed 50 to 100 people.

Under the instructions, churches are to be disinfected between Masses. Protective measures, including wearing masks and keeping a minimum distance, are to be applied.

Any Covid-19 infection must be reported to the Patriarchate immediately, a requirement that protects the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9). According to the notice, the same instructions also apply to other activities in the parishes.

The report places the return to worship within the wider pandemic situation in Iraq. According to figures from the Coronavirus Center of Johns Hopkins University in the United States, the country has recorded about 367,500 infections since the start of the pandemic. A total of 9,231 people have died, a mortality rate of 240 deaths per million inhabitants.

Source: Read the original report (translated from German)