Iraq’s Christians, led by Patriarch Louis Raphaël Sako of the Chaldean Catholic Church, have commenced the annual ‘Nineveh Fast’ in a plea for peace in the Middle East and across the globe.
Known as the Baotha d’Ninwaye or “Petition of the Ninevites” among Syriac Christians, the fast spans three days leading up to Lent and is observed this year from January 22 to January 24.
Patriarch Sako, a cardinal appointed by Pope Francis in 2018, has called on the faithful to dedicate their fasting to prayer for peace and stability in Iraq, the Holy Land, Ukraine, and the broader world.
In a Vatican News report, Patriarch Sako urged believers to implore God’s guidance for world leaders to seek peaceful resolutions rather than resorting to conflict.
He called for prayers aimed at achieving reconciliation, fraternal relations, love, and tolerance, emphasizing the positive impact on humanity.
The ‘Petition of the Ninevites’ commemorates the three days that the prophet Jonah spent in the belly of a whale and signifies the fasting undertaken by the city of Nineveh after its inhabitants responded to Jonah’s call for repentance.
During the three-day observance, many Syriac Christians adhere to rigorous fasting practices, abstaining from all food and drink from midnight to noon each day.
Some extend their restrictions to avoid meat or animal products throughout the entire period, while others choose not to consume any food.
Syriac Christian communities, with roots tracing back to the earliest days of Christianity, face challenges in the present day due to the impact of war and instability in the Middle East. These communities also extend to southwestern India and the diaspora.
The Syriac language, a dialect of Aramaic, is a key aspect of their theological and liturgical traditions. Aramaic, the language of Jesus, was once spoken widely across the region.
