The chalice that survived Daesh, a symbol of Christian resistance

The parish church of Lalín has experienced a shocking moment when it received a chalice desecrated by the Islamic State (Daesh). This chalice, used by extremist group soldiers to fire weapons in Qaraqosh, Iraq, was collected by Christians and is now being displayed in temples across the country as a testament to the religious persecution Christians face today.

It was not until 2019 when the Christians of Qaraqosh, some of the families, were able to return to their homes after fleeing from Daesh. Only half of the population, 250,000 families of the 500,000 before 2014, dared to return from the refugee camps in Erbil (the Kurdish capital). The return has been driven by the hope awakened by the arrival of the priests and nuns. The cross, as a symbol of victory, has once again been imposed in these cities, and churches and cathedrals are being the first buildings to stand again. “After ISIS destroyed all the crosses, we have to rebuild the foundation of our society in faith.” Therefore, that chalice shows how the Christian people of Qaraqosh managed to rebuild their cities.

The future of Christians in Iraq is uncertain. “The Islamic State is everywhere,” say Iraqi neighbors. The return of these people to their homes is a step of courage, because they do it despite fear. “There are still car bombs that explode because they were left abandoned there,” they say. They also see themselves without any type of support from the State or the Kurds, who are absorbed by their own political problems, or that is the feeling that the Christians of Qaraqosh have. Thus, the work done by the SIT or this parish of Lalín is decisive in giving visibility and voice to everything that the Christians of Iraq have experienced.