Churches in Baghdad will reopen on Sunday, October 4. This will happen “slowly, with much hope, many emotions and a lot of happiness, according to each church’s means and on the basis of a limited number of worshippers to maintain social distancing,” said Auxiliary Bishop Basel Yaldo of Baghdad, a close aide to Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako.

“If a place of worship has a capacity of 550, we shall accommodate a hundred, with a maximum of two people per pew. This is good news, after more than seven months of closure,” the prelate told AsiaNews.

The decision is the result of a collective realisation that “since we will have to live with the coronavirus for a long time, we have decided to gradually reopen church doors. Mosques are also reopening.”

“The government has ordered the resumption of several activities, which is why we have also acted now. It is necessary to live with this virus, following the instructions of health professionals and the authorities, carefully whilst supporting the faithful.”

The CaldianPatriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, spoke about the pandemic several times as well, stressing that it offers a chance to think about developing a "deeper" faith and a more "supportive" society, allowing Iraqis to seize the "opportunities" provided by this tragic period.

In a statement posted on its website, the Chaldean patriarchate announced that the faithful will be able to go back gradually to the capital’s churches to attend Mass, starting this Sunday, subject to rigorous respect for the regulations enacted to prevent contagion inside the buildings.

 “One of the positive things that emerged during these months of pandemic is precisely the solidarity that people felt in a living Church that neglects no one.”

Finally, Bishop Yaldo remembers when he tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 together with another bishop, a priest (68-year-old Fr Salah, who died in just four days), and three nuns.

"I was isolated for ten days inside the patriarchate building, in my room, except for brief moments in the garden to enjoy some sunshine. I had no major symptoms and it ended on its own.

“Hopefully, the situation will improve in the near future, even if nothing will be as before. Hope lives on. We turn with optimism to the faithful and tell them to come back to the churches, a first step on a long journey.”