CWN - The Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate has renewed its plea to Catholics who have fled Iraq to return home.

“You are scattered on earth (even family are dispersed),” Patriarch Louis Raphaël I Sako said in an October 13 letter. “And, on a strange place and alienation, what would remain from you after 100 or 200 years? What would remain of your names: Isho, Yelda, Shamoun, Sarkon, and Mikho? What is the result? The result is that you will inevitably merge in your surroundings, and your names, identity, nationality, and language will melt!”

“O immigrants, come back in order to strengthen us, so that we will stay and work and cooperate in building the present and the future,” he continued. “If you come back, we will have a place and role. Come back and we will take advantage of your skills. If you come back, we will be the third race and the second religion! If you don’t come back, we will remain a minority having no effect, but we nevertheless are staying and will not leave, we accept eating bread and onions in order to continue our heritage and our testimony to Christianity.”

Following some “extremely polite” criticism of the patriarch’s letter, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate renewed his plea.

“The overall security situation has improved, and what’s happening is politicized; nevertheless there are safe areas 100%; why travel to remote places breaking connections?” the patriarchate said in a statement.

“Man does not live by bread alone,” the statement continued. “Some adults left their elderly parents alone without anyone to help them in their old age, and their parents died broke[n] hearted wishing to see them. After their death, their children came back to sell the house! Is this acceptable?”