Your Eminence Francis Cardinal George, Peace and Grace to you in this Lenten Season

We write on behalf of our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq. Their situation in Iraq over the past ten days has continued to deteriorate and become ever more perilous for the Christians. Pope Benedict’s statement of February 24, 2010 called on the Iraqi government to provide a basic human right
— the right to security and protection — for the persecuted Christians in Iraq. While we support Pope Benedict’s appeal, the continued violence against Iraqi Christians calls us to do more than plea and pray. We must call on the United States Government to do more through strategies that guarantee complete protection by the Iraqi government for religious minorities.

We Dominicans in the United States have a longstanding relationship with Iraq through our Dominican Family on the ground there. We know you are deeply concerned about and engaged with the Iraqi refugees and the beleaguered Iraqi Christian church.

Please use your influence and resources as president of the USCCB to shape a response to the violence against Iraqi Christians. Urge our government, and through it the Iraqi government, to secure rights and protection for them.

We will collaborate with you in all efforts to bring and end to this genocide unfolding in Iraq.
One of our Iraqi Dominican Sisters wrote today to the Iraq Coordinating Committee of the US Dominicans: “I never understood how it feels to fall under the cross. This week taught me how and the meaning. Thank you for being Simon helping me with my cross. Being under a cross made me feel powerless and exhausted. But your action gave me the power to know that I am not standing alone. Thank you very much for being a voice for my people. “
We anticipate your response to this urgent matter. Please contact me if I can be of further assistance, Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, 517 266 3537 or dfarnan@adriandominicans.org
In hope through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,