IRAQI CATHOLIC LEADER WARNS THE WEST

BAGHDAD, Mar. 2, 01 (FIDES/CWNews.com) -- In a provocative interview with the FIDES news service, the spiritual leader of Iraq’s Catholic population warned that the United States and Great Britain are risking a new outbreak of violence in the Middle East by continuing harsh sanctions on Iraq.

Patriarch Raphael I Bidawid, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, spoke to Fides shortly after bombing raids on February 16 and 22. These most recent raids caused 2 deaths and injured 20 people. In the past 3 years, 323 people have been reportedly killed, and thousands injured, in air strikes by American and British planes enforcing a “no-fly zone” in Iraqi air space—a policy set by those two countries without any UN mandate.

Religious leaders in Iraq have frequently complained that international sanctions on their country—set in place to punish the regime of Saddam Hussein—have in effect punished ordinary citizens, causing widespread poverty and hunger. The Vatican, too, has repeatedly criticized the sanctions.

The vast majority of Iraq’s 20 million people are Muslim, but there are approximately 1 million Christians. Of these, roughly 80 percent are members of the Eastern-rite Chaldean Catholic Church.

The following is the text of the FIDES interview with the Chaldean Patriarch:

FIDES: Your Beatitude, what is your reaction to the recent bombings in northern Iraq?

PATRIARCH RAPHAEL I BIDAWID: I have no words with which to condemn this use of force against the weak. During the Second World War the allies accused the Nazis of using the right of force. Now the US and Britain are using force against the people of Iraq. They proclaim principles of humanity and human rights, but where do they apply them? They must realize that we Iraqis too have the right to life and dignity. The Vatican, France, Italy and Russia have condemned the use of force and we—the Church of Baghdad—do the same.

FIDES: The American Secretary of State is visiting Israel; Bush and Blair will meet at Camp David. What is your forecast for the Middle East?

PATRIARCH: I am afraid that if the USA and Britain continue this way, the whole of the Middle East will be set on fire. This escalation of violence on the part of USA and Britain can push Iraq to retaliate out of desperation. The whole of the Arab world is now against the Americans and the British, and ready to commit violence against the USA and Britain in their own countries.
It is time to start sincere dialogue to reach a solution. Blood and violence lead only to more blood and violence. Our people are ever more distressed and are ever more against the Americans and the British. The more Saddam is maltreated, the more he is applauded.
I appeal to the wisdom and prudence of the governors of these countries: think of the common good which peace can give to all, us and you. If we do not resume dialogue the ghost of a war is not improbable and we risk new chaos.

FIDES: What have the sanctions obtained?

PATRIARCH: Nothing—and even the Americans admit this. The Iraqi government distributes rice, sugar, oil, tea: the harsher the embargo, the more generous the government in donations and rations. Certainly widespread poverty remains: a chicken costs about half a month’s pay; people rely on help from relations abroad, but the situation is better than some years back. The government also distributes basic medicines. The sanctions are useless. You Westerners do not realize that an Arab can do without everything except his dignity. If you touch his dignity he will be as ferocious as a lion.

FIDES: Regarding the sanctions, have you sought help from the Catholic bishops of America?

PATRIARCH: In a couple of months’ time a delegation of the American bishops’ conference will visit Baghdad. Last July, I and a few Muslim leaders, Sunni and Shi’ite, visited the bishops in America and we had a meeting with the World Council of Churches. This was encouraging; the other churches also want the embargo lifted and they have promised to pressure their governments.

The amazing Bayside Prophecies . . .
Terror shall grip the nation . . .
    Our Lady - "Terror shall grip the nation. I have tried to warn you, My children, that the United States is as like the eagle plucked bare by its enemies, plucked bare by misrepresentation, plucked bare by sin. Your country is very sick, My children.
    "You ask Me, My child, why this cannot be stopped? You must now trust in My Son, Jesus. And when you become affrighted, you will say: My Jesus, My confidence!
    "Yes, My child, no war has ever made a pretty picture.
    "We do not stress anything that could be called political, My child and My children. By no means is this as it is meant to be. By no means! I wish to alert you all to what is coming upon you. And when it happens you will know that too few cared, too few failed... to learn a lesson from their past; too few do not give offerings of atonement to the Eternal Father." (3-26-83)

Our Lady - "My children, an arsenal of arms now are being gathered throughout the world. They are major instruments of destruction... It is the regime of terror that man has brought upon himself by rejecting his God." (2-1-78)

The angel of death is among you . . .
   Our Lady - "My children, it is not a reign of terror I set upon the world. I warn you now what is happening has been caused because you failed. You failed to listen to counsels from Heaven. You failed to mend your ways. The few who will be saved are few. And you may now count the days.
    "The angel of death is among you. He walks in human form. He'll gather now those about him, and evil he will spawn.
    "I tell you now, My children, you must now mend your ways. I tell you now, My children, you will soon be counting days.
     "Those who remain, if this evil continues and becomes more widespread, will be in a spirit of fear because they will envy those who have died and do not pass through this crucible of suffering.
    "My children, know now that you will bar your doors to all but your immediate family and close workers, the workers who are involved in trying to stop the spread of evil." (8-13-77)

Jesus - "America, your country, the United States, a land of plenty, has never witnessed mass slaughter and death, but My children, unless and I say, unless you turn back now, your country will witness death such as never has gripped the heart of man before, a terror brought about by the knowledge that there has been a rejection of truth, a rejection of your God." (12-7-76)

Our Lady - "Your country, America the Great, and your neighbor, Canada, have set themselves, by their actions that offend the Eternal Father, onto a road of chastisement. Your country, My children, the United States, has not know the terror, the agonizing heartbreak of death in the streets. You are fast approaching a major calamity. Blood shall flow in your streets." (11-1-75)

Not long to exist as free Nation . . .
    Our Lady - "I know, I heard the voice also, My child, that said that the United States shall be taken over without a shot to ring out. That is not true, My children. Should they advance upon you as they plan, there will be bloodshed in the streets, blood flowing and mothers' hearts breaking in sorrow. Oh, how they will gnash their teeth and cry bitter tears of regret that they did not foresee or listen to the voices from Heaven crying out: Prepare now, for you do not have much longer to exist as a free nation.
    "My child and My children, I could go back through the years and remember how many times I came upon earth to try to warn you. Those nations that listened were free from harm. But they had to pray the Rosary - the Rosary and Scapular.
    "I hastened to and from the corners of your earth, begging you as your Mother to listen now, for the time is growing short." (4-14-84)

Our Lady - "Only you now, you, My children of reasoning, of the age of reasoning, must now make a full inventory of the graces you have gathered. For in an instant death will come upon your land, and many shall be claimed. Will you be ready? Have you prepared your children? Have you prepared your households? Many parents shall cry. Families shall be torn asunder. Blood shall be in the streets." (6-18-81)

Wars shall increase . . .
    Our Lady - "How long, My children, do you think that the Eternal Father will stretch His pity to excuse, or make excuses for these abominations. No longer, My children. This I bring to you as the most urgent message from Heaven. Wars shall increase, and the great world War, the greatest of all, shall befall mankind, and shall make extinct three quarters of the world's population. Is this what you want?
    "My children, awaken from your slumber! You live in a dream world. You believe that this cannot happen to you. O My poor children in North America - Canada, the United States - you do not know what it is to see the blood flow in the streets, to see your loved ones torn - their arms, their legs missing, their bodies and their bowels spewing out upon the grounds. Is this what you want?
    "O My children, please listen to Me. You shall not be free from this type of suffering. It is fast closing in. The enemy is all about you. You are slumbering. While the world cries peace, peace, and tranquility... We look for prosperity and peace. But where do you look? It appears, My children and My child, that most are looking for prosperity, and not true peace. For the only true peace shall be found through My Son, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist, through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
    "The peace that you seek far eludes you, My child and My children, because of the fact that you do not recognize the power of the Bear. The Bear surrounds you. Those who are with the Bear laugh at you, for they do not seek peace. And you believe in your purity of heart - of many of the leaders, I say this - for the United States, which has been always called a great Christian nation - I say this to the United States, because they do not understand the ways and means of an atheist. Behind the Bear are atheists.
    "Now the Bear, the great Bear now that has clawed most of the world and nations, those behind the Bear, they know no reasoning for truth. For they believe that whatever happens in the end - their captures, their covering the world with their propaganda, and their eventual destruction of nations, to bring them, down to their knees - the means of doing this is justified by the ends. In other words, murder or lies, or anything which is in satan's realm, anything to justify their takeover." (6-18-82)

Terrorism is coming to New York . . .
Many in New York to be mowed down
    Veronica - I see a road. It looks like a normal country road, but it leads to a city, A great city. I would say from the buildings the city looks like New York. But I see there are very sinister looking characters walking down the road nonchalantly but carrying bags. Within those bags there are submachine guns.
    Jesus - "Yes, My child!"
   Veronica - Jesus is pointing in anger at what he sees.
    Jesus - "I see murder ahead now, My child, in your city of New York. Many shall be mowed down. It is an attack by a communist nation.
    "No, My child, you do not need to know at this time the name of this nation, for it will soon be known when the captors are picked up. The Federal Bureau of Investigation will hear of this, My child, and they will try to stop them."
Bombs in strategic places
    "These interlopers upon the serenity of the United States have dark skins. They are not from this nation, but they come from a presently warring nation. It is their object to destroy all and cause chaos in the city of New York. With their plans there will be bombs placed in strategic places and many shall die at the hands of these ruffians.
    "My child and My children, and My child Veronica, I brought you here this evening and relieved you of your major suffering the last few days in order for you to be upon your feet. There is much that has to be said." (10-1-88)

Warhead in a New York subway station . . .
    Veronica - And Jesus is now telling me to look down. I'm looking down, and it appears to be a subway station, but there's no one. I know, I recognize tracks going into a tunnel. There's no one about in this tunnel. I seem to feel that is has been discarded as a major network for the trains. Now, Our Lady and Jesus now are standing at my side. I'm standing with Them on the platform. And Jesus says:
    Jesus - "Look, My child, what is coming in..."
    Veronica - And there on the tracks - it's made of wheels - there's a carting, some type of a carting - train - like board. And on this - I know, - I know it's a bomb, a very large bomb, and it has a point, like a V - shape upside down, pointed type of nozzle, or whatever you'd call it. I don't know the mechanics of bombs or anything, but I know it's a bomb.
And the Jesus touched His lips. He said: "Warhead! A Warhead!"
    "It's an underground tunnel that's not being used for transporting the passengers at this time. It's been abandoned. But it has made, said Jesus, an ideal parking place for a major destructive force that man has created - a missile." (3-26-83)

Locution given Tuesday, September 11, 1990
Our Lady revealed to Veronica that there would be a terrorist attack "on the state building." Veronica knew immediately this was alluding to the Empire State building in New York City.

Blood In New York Streets
    Veronica - Now Jesus is looking down at His Mother; She's turned Her head away to wipe the tears from Her face. And Jesus now is turning towards me, and He's placing His first finger to His lips.
    Jesus - "My child and My children, My Mother - My Mother, My dear Mother - Her tears are falling upon the nations, for She knows as I do what has befallen mankind and what the future holds. I warn you all now; You are approaching a terrible crisis, a crisis that will involve death. Blood shall flow from the streets of New York soon.
    "My children, that does not mean that you will flee, for you will find it will be of no use to flee the carnage, for you will not be safe anywhere but under the mantle of My Mother. And all who wear their scapulars and the Rosary will be saved. But all those who cast them aside as superstition shall be lost" (6-30-84)

Crucifix to guard entrances to home…
Jesus - "I must reveal, My children, to the world again, that you are to keep a crucifix on your front door and your back door. All entrances to your home must be guarded by the crucifix. There has not been one home on Long Island that had a crucifix on its door that did fall to any evil. I do not speak of the trees, My child; I speak of mankind. You did not know a major disaster as has happened, My children, in Mexico. You see, My child, I set you down in that area to bring the word to mankind, and it was through these words that many listened and the passed through the horrible experience of a hurricane." (10-5-85)

Heaven’s Home Protection Packet...
Our Lord stated we must have crucifixes upon the outside of all of our outside doors. In the "Heaven’s Home Protection Packet" there are instructions, four crucifixes, and a tube of special cement for wooden or metal crucifixes. Wooden crucifixes adhere better to the doors when the aluminum strap is removed from the back. Put a light coat of cement on the back of the crucifix and then press it to the outside of the door. If you have any problems, you can call us at 616-698-6448 for assistance. This Heaven’s Home Protection Packet is available for a donation of $5.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Send $8.00 to TLD Ministries, P.O. Box 40, Lowell, MI 49331. Item # P15 (Click here)

Heaven’s Personal Protection Packet . . .
    Our Lady tells us to be protected from all evil, we must wear the following sacramentals around our necks: a rosary, a crucifix, the St. Benedict medal, Our Lady of the Roses medal, the Miraculous Medal, and the scapular. We have all of these sacramentals in a packet we call "Heaven's Personal Protection Packet." This packet is available for a donation of $5.00 and is listed in the sacramental section of the order form.
    Our Lady of the Roses, Mary Help of Mothers promises to help protect our children. On September 13, 1977, She said, "He has an army of ogres wandering now throughout your country and all of the countries of the world. They are in possession of great power; so wear your sacramentals, and protect your children and your households. Learn the use every day of holy water throughout your household. Insist even with obstructions, insist that your children always wear a sacramental. One day they will understand that they will repel the demons."
    On February 1, 1974, Our Lady said, "My children, know the value of these sacramentals. Guard your children well. You must awaken to the knowledge that you will not be protected without the sacramentals. Guard your children's souls. They must be surrounded with an aura of purity. Remove them if necessary from the sources of contamination, be it your schools or even false pastors."
    This Heaven’s Personal Protection Packet is available for a donation of $5.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Send $8.00 to TLD Ministries, P.O. Box 40, Lowell, MI 49331. You may use your MasterCard, VISA, or American Express and call 1-616-698-6448. Item # P5 (Click here)