Iraq opens new Coptic cathedral in Baghdad welcoming diaspora Christians to return safely

Iraq has inaugurated a new Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Baghdad, an event that Iraqi officials described as a symbol of religious coexistence and an invitation for Christians who fled the country during decades of conflict to return. Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi spoke at the opening of the new church. "We inaugurate this edifice, which stands as a prominent landmark, adding to the sanctity of the Land of the Two Rivers." He emphasized that "the gift of diversity is a blessing for Iraq and its people - a shield against intolerance and division,” he said.

The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, St. Paul and St. Anthony opened in the New Baghdad district of the Iraqi capital on Thursday. The ceremony was attended by Iraqi officials, including Karim Hammadi, head of the Iraqi Media Network, who emphasized the importance of the occasion for Iraq's Christian communities.

"The opening of this magnificent church in the New Baghdad district is a clear sign and indication of religious coexistence and the inclusive nature of Iraqi civilization," Hammadi told the Iraqi News Agency (INA). "Iraq is a country of diverse cultures and religions, and these religions coexist in great peace and security within the country," he added. Hammadi noted that the cathedral was particularly significant because it belongs to the Coptic Orthodox Church, which has its historic roots in Egypt.

"The opening of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, St. Paul, and St. Anthony for the Copts in Baghdad holds great symbolic significance, as it is one of the Egyptian Christian churches and the first of its kind in Iraq," Hammadi said.

Iraq's ancient Christian community

Iraq has one of the oldest Christian communities in the Middle East. Christianity spread through Mesopotamia during the first centuries of the Christian era, long before the arrival of Islam in the seventh century. Iraqi Christians belong to several denominations, including the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Syriac Catholic Church. The Coptic Orthodox Church, by contrast, is historically associated with Egypt. Nevertheless, there are some Coptic Christians in Iraq.

For centuries, Christian communities played an important role in the cultural, commercial and intellectual life of Iraq. Baghdad, Mosul and towns across the Nineveh Plains were home to important Christian populations. However, Iraq's Christian population has declined dramatically since the US-led invasion in 2003. Before the invasion, estimates commonly placed the Christian population at around 1 million to 1.5 million.

Years of sectarian violence, attacks by terrorist groups and emigration reduced the community to a fraction of its former size. For instance, many Christians had to flee ISIS in 2014 and many moved to areas around Erbil in the Kurdistan Region.

Terror attacks targeting Iraqi Christians

One of the worst attacks occurred in October 2010, when terrorists linked to al-Qaeda attacked Our Lady of Salvation Syriac Catholic Church in Baghdad, killing dozens of worshippers and security personnel.

The rise of ISIS in 2014 brought another catastrophe. When the group captured Mosul and advanced across the Nineveh Plains, tens of thousands of Christians fled their homes. Churches were damaged or destroyed, and historic Christian communities were uprooted.

Although ISIS was defeated in Iraq in 2017, many displaced Christians have not returned. Security concerns, damaged infrastructure, economic difficulties and the influence of armed factions have complicated efforts to rebuild Christian communities. Hammadi referred to this history during the cathedral's inauguration.

“More than ten years ago, Iraq witnessed terrorist attacks by ISIS gangs targeting Christians and their churches, including Our Lady of Salvation Church, as well as the displacement of Christians from their lands and homes in Mosul and the cities occupied by the terrorist gangs," he said, according to INA.

New cathedral aims to welcome Iraqi Christians in diaspora to return

He described the new cathedral as a message to those who had left Iraq.

"The opening of this church represents a great message to all Iraqi Christians in the world to return to their country, as Iraq is safe and needs them," Hammadi told INA. He added that the inauguration and large attendance sent a message that Iraq "will always remain a father and a big brother" to its Christian communities. The opening comes as Iraq continues to recover from years of conflict and seeks to present itself as a country where different religious communities can coexist.

For Iraq's Christians, however, the future of their communities will depend not only on the construction of new churches, but also on security, economic opportunities and the ability of displaced families to return to their historic homes.

The inauguration of a Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Baghdad is therefore both a symbolic milestone and a reminder of the challenges facing one of the Middle East's oldest Christian populations. Zaidi used the opening of the new cathedral to speak about the efforts that “are underway to build a strong state, founded upon security, the economy, and the rule of law,” the INA noted.