"Whoever keeps his word"

" ... the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him: whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked."

-- 1 Jn 2:3-11

Be always ready to say no to any good thing so as to say yes to freedom in Christ.

-- ((((..))))

Missa Cantata in Nativitate Domini: "Laetentur caeli, et exsultet terra ante faciem Domini: quoniam venit."

"Accepta tibi sit, Domine, quaesumus, hodiernae festivitatis oblatio: ut, tua gratia largiente, per haec sacrosancta commercia, in illius invemiamur forma, in quo tecum est nostra substantia: Que tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen."

"Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te."
Ps 2, 7

"Laetentur caeli et exsultet terra ante faciem Domini: qouniam venit."
Ps. 95, 11 et 13.

Children's Christmas Pageant and Vigil Mass 2010

Servers, top, and participants in the pageant at tonight's vigil Mass of Christmas at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Benedict, Maryland, made it a beautiful and memorable celebration of the birth of the Lord for all present. Thanks to Karen Hefter and our parents for their support. Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Holy Father's BBC Christmas Message: "God often surprises us"

The recording followed months of negotiations between the BBC and the Vatican

The text of Pope Benedict's message:

"Recalling with great fondness my four-day visit to the United Kingdom last September, I am glad to have the opportunity to greet you once again, and indeed to greet listeners everywhere as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

"Our thoughts turn back to a moment in history when God's chosen people, the children of Israel, were living in intense expectation.

"They were waiting for the Messiah that God had promised to send, and they pictured him as a great leader who would rescue them from foreign domination and restore their freedom.

"God is always faithful to his promises, but he often surprises us in the way he fulfils them.

The child that was born in Bethlehem did indeed bring liberation, but not only for the people of that time and place - he was to be the Saviour of all people throughout the world and throughout history.

Click to play

Click to play

"And it was not a political liberation that he brought, achieved through military means: rather, Christ destroyed death for ever and restored life by means of his shameful death on the Cross.

"And while he was born in poverty and obscurity, far from the centres of earthly power, he was none other than the Son of God.

"Out of love for us he took upon himself our human condition, our fragility, our vulnerability, and he opened up for us the path that leads to the fullness of life, to a share in the life of God himself.

"As we ponder this great mystery in our hearts this Christmas, let us give thanks to God for his goodness to us, and let us joyfully proclaim to those around us the good news that God offers us freedom from whatever weighs us down; he gives us hope, he brings us life.

"Dear friends from Scotland, England, Wales and indeed every part of the English-speaking world, I want you to know that I keep all of you very much in my prayers during this Holy season.

"I pray for your families, for your children, for those who are sick, and for those who are going through any form of hardship at this time.

"I pray especially for the elderly and for those who are approaching the end of their days.

"I ask Christ, the light of the nations, to dispel whatever darkness there may be in your lives and to grant to every one of you the grace of a peaceful and joyful Christmas.

May God bless all of you."

Continue reading the main story

Related stories

• Pope's Thought for the Day message
• Highlights of the Pope's visit to UK

To read the news item and listen to the Holy Father's Christmas message, click here to go to the BBC website.

Christmas 2010. "Come, let us adore Him": To love the newborn Christ it is necessary to worship Him alone

If someone returned to earth from 1000 years ago and saw so many people huddled over tiny electronic gadgets in their hands, or held for long periods to their ears, or even risking an accident in order to use such while driving a car, what would they think? They might think that we were in love with our cell phones! They also might make the very reasonable assumption that we worship these small communication devices, devoted as we are to bringing them with us wherever we go, and showering them with care and attention as we do.

But we would laugh if they accused us of these things. We know the difference between a love of adoration or worship and a love of the convenience 0r usefulness of cell phones. Or do we? We only want to remain in loving communication with our spouse or children or to be able take care of business while away from the office.

Many Catholics say they love God, but though physically capable of doing so no longer genuflect in His Presence at church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. Many receive Communion with their hands hanging down near their belt buckle, appearing as though they believe that the One whom they receive is less important than ordinary bread. Some refer to the consecrated Eucharistic species as "bread" or "wine", either revealing their own confusion or causing confusion for others. Many talk in church when others are trying to pray, forgetting that the primary purpose of visiting our church is to spend time in loving devotion for and attending to God. Some are habitually casual or indifferent about regular attendance at Sunday Mass, even causing scandal by failing to take their children to Sunday Mass when they are able to do so. These are lost opportunities for the worship of God by which we grow in love of Him and in the grace of faith by which we are to be saved.

For the full text of the homily for Christmas, please click here to visit Meeting Christ in the Liturgy.

In photo: The Santo Bambino, or holy child, displayed each Christmas at the church of Araceoli on the Capitoline hill in Rome.

Keep the "Mass" in Christ-Mass

"Come, let us adore Him!"

Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church
Schedule of Masses for Christmas 2010

Christmas Eve
Friday, 24 December

Confessions 3 pm
Children's Pageant: The Christmas Story 5 pm
Vigil Mass of Christmas 5:30 pm

Missa Cantata, Extraordinary Form Midnight
preceded by singing of carols at 11:30 pm


Christmas Day
Saturday, 25 December

Holy Mass in the Ordinary Form 9 am

Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form 11 am

In photo: Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Benedict, Maryland, decorated for Christmas 2010.

Merry Christmas

From the priest and people of Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Benedict, Maryland.

"Flee from fornication!" On the trivilization of sexuality: Regarding certain interpretations of "Light of the World"

Following the publication of the interview-book Light of the World by Benedict XVI, a number of erroneous interpretations have emerged which have caused confusion concerning the position of the Catholic Church regarding certain questions of sexual morality. The thought of the Pope has been repeatedly manipulated for ends and interests which are entirely foreign to the meaning of his words – a meaning which is evident to anyone who reads the entire chapters in which human sexuality is treated. The intention of the Holy Father is clear: to rediscover the beauty of the divine gift of human sexuality and, in this way, to avoid the cheapening of sexuality which is common today.

Some interpretations have presented the words of the Pope as a contradiction of the traditional moral teaching of the Church. This hypothesis has been welcomed by some as a positive change and lamented by others as a cause of concern – as if his statements represented a break with the doctrine concerning contraception and with the Church’s stance in the fight against AIDS. In reality, the words of the Pope – which specifically concern a gravely disordered type of human behaviour, namely prostitution (cf. Light of the World, pp. 117-119) – do not signify a change in Catholic moral teaching or in the pastoral practice of the Church.

As is clear from an attentive reading of the pages in question, the Holy Father was talking neither about conjugal morality nor about the moral norm concerning contraception. This norm belongs to the tradition of the Church and was summarized succinctly by Pope Paul VI in paragraph 14 of his Encyclical Letter Humanae vitae, when he wrote that "also to be excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation—whether as an end or as a means." The idea that anyone could deduce from the words of Benedict XVI that it is somehow legitimate, in certain situations, to use condoms to avoid an unwanted pregnancy is completely arbitrary and is in no way justified either by his words or in his thought. On this issue the Pope proposes instead – and also calls the pastors of the Church to propose more often and more effectively (cf. Light of the World, p. 147) – humanly and ethically acceptable ways of behaving which respect the inseparable connection between the unitive and procreative meaning of every conjugal act, through the possible use of natural family planning in view of responsible procreation.

On the pages in question, the Holy Father refers to the completely different case of prostitution, a type of behaviour which Christian morality has always considered gravely immoral (cf. Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, n. 27; Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2355). The response of the entire Christian tradition – and indeed not only of the Christian tradition – to the practice of prostitution can be summed up in the words of St. Paul: "Flee from fornication" (1 Cor 6:18). The practice of prostitution should be shunned, and it is the duty of the agencies of the Church, of civil society and of the State to do all they can to liberate those involved from this practice.

Click here to read full text in English.

Pope Benedict condemns relativism as a contributor to pedophilia

In his 20 December annual Christmas review of the year address to the Roman Curia the Holy Father indicated the perverse theory which provides the basis for widespread abuse: viz. relativism.

"In the vision of Saint Hildegard, the face of the Church is stained with dust, and this is how we have seen it. Her garment is torn – by the sins of priests. The way she saw and expressed it is the way we have experienced it this year. We must accept this humiliation as an exhortation to truth and a call to renewal. Only the truth saves. We must ask ourselves what we can do to repair as much as possible the injustice that has occurred. We must ask ourselves what was wrong in our proclamation, in our whole way of living the Christian life, to allow such a thing to happen. We must discover a new resoluteness in faith and in doing good. We must be capable of doing penance. We must be determined to make every possible effort in priestly formation to prevent anything of the kind from happening again. This is also the moment to offer heartfelt thanks to all those who work to help victims and to restore their trust in the Church, their capacity to believe her message. In my meetings with victims of this sin, I have also always found people who, with great dedication, stand alongside those who suffer and have been damaged. This is also the occasion to thank the many good priests who act as channels of the Lord’s goodness in humility and fidelity and, amid the devastations, bear witness to the unforfeited beauty of the priesthood.

"We are well aware of the particular gravity of this sin committed by priests and of our corresponding responsibility. But neither can we remain silent regarding the context of these times in which these events have come to light. There is a market in child pornography that seems in some way to be considered more and more normal by society. The psychological destruction of children, in which human persons are reduced to articles of merchandise, is a terrifying sign of the times. From Bishops of developing countries I hear again and again how sexual tourism threatens an entire generation and damages its freedom and its human dignity. The Book of Revelation includes among the great sins of Babylon – the symbol of the world’s great irreligious cities – the fact that it trades with bodies and souls and treats them as commodities (cf. Rev 18:13). In this context, the problem of drugs also rears its head, and with increasing force extends its octopus tentacles around the entire world – an eloquent expression of the tyranny of mammon which perverts mankind. No pleasure is ever enough, and the excess of deceiving intoxication becomes a violence that tears whole regions apart – and all this in the name of a fatal misunderstanding of freedom which actually undermines man’s freedom and ultimately destroys it.

"In order to resist these forces, we must turn our attention to their ideological foundations. In the 1970s, paedophilia was theorized as something fully in conformity with man and even with children. This, however, was part of a fundamental perversion of the concept of ethos. It was maintained – even within the realm of Catholic theology – that there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a “better than” and a “worse than”. Nothing is good or bad in itself. Everything depends on the circumstances and on the end in view. Anything can be good or also bad, depending upon purposes and circumstances. Morality is replaced by a calculus of consequences, and in the process it ceases to exist. The effects of such theories are evident today. Against them, Pope John Paul II, in his 1993 Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, indicated with prophetic force in the great rational tradition of Christian ethos the essential and permanent foundations of moral action. Today, attention must be focussed anew on this text as a path in the formation of conscience. It is our responsibility to make these criteria audible and intelligible once more for people today as paths of true humanity, in the context of our paramount concern for mankind."

-- Pope Benedict, Address to the Roman Curia, 20 December 2010

Have yourself a Merry Twitter Christmas and a Textful New Year: Nativity story goes digital

The real story of Christmas is here retold in the language and with the technology of the digital age. Enjoy!

Do Ask, Do Tell?

So, let me get this right: military men and women have now been afforded the legal approbation necessary for interviewing each other about their non-heterosexual activities. How far have we drifted from the purpose of the military wherein one would think conversation should be guided by the professional subject of how to win wars?

And how is it anybody's business in the first place? One can be said to be lying only when one intentionally conceals the truth from another who has a right to know it. Workplace etiquette has always dictated the inappropriate nature of bringing into the work place anything that can be left at home, including regaling colleagues with the details of one's weekend escapades.

And where has the great modern obsession with privacy disappeared to? Or is privacy suddenly deemed a hindrance when it comes to promoting certain select agendas?

This is truly a brave new world where politicians who haven't served a day in the military are blindly led down the primrose path to perdition by well-heeled and well-funded lobbies who criminally subject thousands under obedience to the Commander-in-Chief to wildly irresponsible social experimentation.

Let us hope these naive dupes have not unleashed a monster of hatred and violence fueled by ignorance and fear that can never be caged.

God have mercy on us.

Benedict Fourth Sunday of Advent. "Ask for a sign": God gives the perfect Sign in the "present of Presence". He gives Himself

"...the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel."

God is love, and if we wish to have love we must learn to give as God gives. He gives Himself. We must learn to do the same if we want to love and be loved.

Love, then, is presence, one person being present really and truly with all of his or her gifts with another person. In the case of God's total gift of Himself in Jesus Christ for which we prepare in this final week of Advent, the gift is of the Divine Presence, God in Himself with us, those whom He loves. We must learn to give the sign of love as God does if we are to truly know the joy of loving.

The sign of God's "present of presence" on the altar at holy Mass makes this and every church where the Eucharist is celebrated a new Bethlehem, a "house of bread", where God Himself feeds His people with the true nourishment of love. God gives Himself in Jesus Christ every time the holy Mass is celebrated, offered and received.

"The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit." (CCC 1325)

The grace of the Eucharistic life continues for us as we learn to give ourselves with sincerity and generosity to one another. We live in true Eucharistic communion as we learn to live and express thankfulness for every human person and for the gifts and graces he or she brings into our lives as a reflection of God's self-giving in the Eucharistic banquet of His love. This self-giving and sacrificial love in communion with and in imitation of Christ must begin in and radiate outward from the Christian family.

For the full text of this Sunday's homily, please click here to visit Meeting Christ in the Liturgy.

Gaudete Sunday at Navy Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois

My friend Father Charles Johnson, Navy chaplain at Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes, Illinois, sent these photos. With his own resources he obtained the necessary materials to outfit this elegant and dignified setting for his celebration of Gaudete Sunday with the Navy recruits this year. He celebrates the Mass in an auditorium and thus faces a challenge to providing a sacred and prayerful ambience for the Sailors who look to him to keep them in the communion of faith, hope and love with Christ through the universal Church.

God bless Father Johnson and all those who assist him to keep the Faith alive and vibrant among those who depend upon him for pastoral care while away from their homes and families.

Feelin' so fly, like Jesus.

Even the dregs of pop "culture" can be used for evangelization?

Benedict: Christmas Midnight Missa Cantata

Asia Bibi: Catholic in Pakistan condemned to death by the "religion of peace"

Pope, Jews Unite Against Persecution, Anti-Semitism
By Stephanie Samuel|Christian Post Reporter

The tension surrounding the plight of jailed Christian Asia (also spelled "Aasia") Bibi is increasing as members of the Pakistani Jamiat Ulema-e Party and the Taliban call for her death.

Though Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, believes Bibi is innocent, members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan have marched in protest chanting, "Asia, the blasphemer: hang her, hang her."

A cleric has already offered 500,000 rupees – roughly $5,800 – to anyone who kills the Pakistani mother and step-mother of five. And in yet another sign that the case has become a rallying point for extremists, the Taliban also has threatened retribution should she be spared.

As tensions mount, Pope Benedict XVI and Ronald S. Lauder of the World Jewish Congress have both expressed concern and distress over Bibi, a Roman Catholic, and the persecution of Christians in other countries.

In a Dec. 10 meeting at the Vatican, Lauder, president of the leading global Jewish advocacy group, noted with concern that both Christians and Jews in the Middle East are facing the threat of radical Islam. He also expressed his sympathies over the murder of Christian leaders in Iraq and Turkey.

The pope has called on Pakistani officials for Bibi’s release. Prior to that, he denounced the Oct. 30 Baghdad church attack that killed nearly 60 worshippers and priests last month as “absurd.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has also called on Congress to issue a resolution calling for a comprehensive plan to improve security for Iraq’s religious minorities.

In return, the pontiff conveyed the importance of Jews and Catholics working together to fight anti-Semitism even as it is directed at Christianity. Pope Benedict indicated that Jews and Christians needed one another, and that the bonds of brotherhood and goodwill between the religions should continue to be strengthened.

The pope also emphasized the need to continue to combat "unacceptable" anti-Semitism in the Christian world, which was the chief subject of the recent talks. At the meeting, the WJC delegation spoke of efforts to downplay Jews’ connection to its holy sites as a new “politically correct" form of anti-Semitism.

Lauder asked the pope to speak out against the de-legitimization of Israel and the denial of Jewish and Christian holy sites such as the Western Wall and the Tomb of Rachel near Bethlehem.

Pope Benedict responded, saying that the Christian church recognized the historical connection of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland Jerusalem, which goes back to the time of Abraham. He expressed his commitment to help foster understanding of the bond between the nation of Israel and the land of Israel among people throughout the world.

As for Bibi, the first woman be sentenced to death for blasphemy, she continues to sit in prison. Her husband, Ashiq Masih, recently told National Public Radio that he fears she may be killed in jail. He and their children also fear for their lives and have gone into hiding.

More:

Over 60,000 in Spain call for release of Asia Bibi

Carhart Deceives MD Board About Late-Term Abortion Involvement

Date: Dec 15, 2010 10:59 AM

Carhart Deceives MD Board About Late-Term Abortion Involvement December 14, 2010 Complaint filed with Maryland Board of Physicians highlighting the truth behind Carhart's "sanitized" medical license application. Baltimore, MD - LeRoy Carhart is perhaps the best known abortionist in the nation, yet when he applied for a license to practice medicine in Maryland in September, Carhart intentionally concealed the true nature of his risky late-term abortion practice from the Maryland Board of Physicians. "Looking at his Maryland medical license application, there is no mention of abortion anywhere. One is lead to believe that Carhart is an emergency room physician and university professor. There is no indication on that application that he is the most notorious late-term abortionist in the nation," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. Operation Rescue recently received a redacted copy of Carhart's application for Maryland licensure, which was obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act request. On page two of the application, Carhart lists his current position as Medical Director and Staff Physician of "Bellevue Health/Emergency Clinic, Inc." located at 1002 West Mission Avenue in Bellevue, Nebraska, which is actually the address of his infamous abortion mill, better known as the Abortion and Contraception Clinic of Nebraska. "Why use a dummy corporation instead of the actual name of his abortion business? It is obvious that Carhart attempted to deceive without technically lying. It shows a devious attitude that poses a danger in the field of medicine," said Newman. Nowhere on Carhart's application does he mention that he was an employee for over a decade of George Tiller's now-closed Women's Health Care Services, the largest free-standing late-term abortion mill outside of Communist China. That omission, as well as the omission of other abortion clinics that Carhart has worked at in the past 20 years in eight states, helps to conceal the truth about the nature of Carhart's late-term abortion business. "When the most notorious abortionist in the world tries to cover up what he does for a living, you know he has something to hide," said Newman. Operation Rescue has submitted to the Maryland Board of Physicians documentation on Gilbert's avoidable death and the numerous botched abortions with which Carhart was involved in Kansas. The complaint is demanding that the Board reconsider Carhart's license. "We intend to press the issue with the medical board and other authorities until women are safe from Carhart's deceptive and exploitive abortion practices," said Newman. Read the full story with links to documents ________________________________ About Operation Rescue® Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Operation Rescue is now headquartered in a former abortion clinic that it bought and closed in 2006. From there, Operation Rescue launches its innovative new strategies across the nation, exposing and closing abortion clinics through peaceful, legal means. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to stop abortion and ultimately restore legal personhood to the pre-born in obedience to biblical mandates. Click here to support Operation Rescue. ________________________________ Web site: www.operationrescue.org E-mail: info@operationrescue.org Operation Rescue Troy Newman President 316-841-1700 Operation Rescue Cheryl Sullenger Senior Policy Advisor 316-516-3034

For Operation Rescue | P.O. Box 782888 | Wichita | KS | 67278

600 Catholics Protest Carhart Saturday In Germantown, MD

December 13, 2010 Germantown, MD - On Saturday, December 11, 2010, another large protest was conducted outside Germantown Reproductive Health Services where late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart has set up shop doing abortions that are illegal in his home state of Nebraska. As was the case with Monday's protest, over 600 pro-life supporters turned out to pray and otherwise oppose Carhart's late-term abortion business. Saturday's protest was organized by the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. "In just the past week, over 1,200 men and women have braved wind and freezing temperatures to let the world know that the people of Maryland do not want Carhart killing viable babies in their state," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "This is all happening at an abortion clinic that never had more than one or two protesters a week in its entire history. Protests like these can be expected to continue on as long as babies are dying." Pro-life supporters and groups, including Operation Rescue, have committed to peacefully protesting and working through the legal system to ban late-term abortions in Maryland for as long as is necessary. "This effort is not a flash in the pan. We are committed to a long term campaign to educate the public, awaken and activate the community, and drive abortions from Germantown through the legal process," said Newman. Read about the Monday, December 6, 2010, protest (includes links to photos) Visit www.KickOutCarhart.com to get involved.

________________________________ About Operation Rescue® Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation and has become a strong voice for the pro-life movement in America. Operation Rescue is now headquartered in a former abortion clinic that it bought and closed in 2006. From there, Operation Rescue launches its innovative new strategies across the nation, exposing and closing abortion clinics through peaceful, legal means. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to stop abortion and ultimately restore legal personhood to the pre-born in obedience to biblical mandates. Click here to support Operation Rescue. Click here to make a secure donation online. ________________________________ Web site: www.operationrescue.org E-mail: info@operationrescue.org

Forward email Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Operation Rescue | P.O. Box 782888 | Wichita | KS | 67278

USNA: Navy has "disco" -vered their mission

APL reader MG Moore wrote in to say that Marines don't have time to do this...

NYT: With New Violence, More Christians Are Fleeing Iraq

Shiho Fukada for The New York Times

In the wake of a series of attacks in Baghdad and Mosul, thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled abroad or to the relative safety of the Kurdish north. More Photos »

By STEVEN LEE MYERS

Published: December 12, 2010

QOSH, Iraq — A new wave of Iraqi Christians has fled to northern Iraq or abroad amid a campaign of violence against them and growing fear that the country’s security forces are unable or, more ominously, unwilling to protect them.

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Christians in Iraq

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The New York Times

Some fleeing Christians are finding sanctuary in Qosh. More Photos »

The flight — involving thousands of residents from Baghdad and Mosul, in particular — followed an Oct. 31 siege at a church in Baghdad that killed 51 worshipers and 2 priests and a subsequent series of bombings and assassinations singling out Christians. This new exodus, which is not the first, highlights the continuing displacement of Iraqis despite improved security over all and the near-resolution of the political impasse that gripped the country after elections in March.

It threatens to reduce further what Archdeacon Emanuel Youkhana of the Assyrian Church of the East called “a community whose roots were in Iraq even before Christ.”

Those who fled the latest violence — many of them in a panicked rush, with only the possessions they could pack in cars — warned that the new violence presages the demise of the faith in Iraq. Several evoked the mass departure of Iraq’s Jews after the founding of the state of Israel in 1948.

“It’s exactly what happened to the Jews,” said Nassir Sharhoom, 47, who fled last month to the Kurdish capital, Erbil, with his family from Dora, a once mixed neighborhood in Baghdad. “They want us all to go.”

Iraq’s leaders, including Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, have pledged to tighten security and appealed for tolerance for minority faiths in what is an overwhelmingly Muslim country.

“The Christian is an Iraqi,” he said after visiting those wounded in the siege of the church, Our Lady of Salvation, the worst single act of violence against Christians since 2003. “He is the son of Iraq and from the depths of a civilization that we are proud of.”

For those who fled, though, such pronouncements have been met with growing skepticism. The daily threats, the uncertainty and palpable terror many face have overwhelmed even the pleas of Christian leaders not to abandon their historic place in a diverse Iraq.

“Their faith in God is strong,” said the Rev. Gabriele Tooma, who heads the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, part of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Qosh, which opened its monastic rooms to 25 families in recent weeks. “It is their faith in the government that has weakened.”

Christians, of course, are not the only victims of the bloodshed that has swept Iraq for more than seven and a half years; Sunni and Shiite Arabs have died on a far greater scale. Only two days after the attack on the church, a dozen bombs tore through Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad, killing at least 68 people and wounding hundreds.

The Christians and other smaller minority groups here, however, have been explicitly made targets and have emigrated in disproportionate numbers. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, these groups account for 20 percent of the Iraqis who have gone abroad, while they were only 3 percent of the country’s prewar population.

More than half of Iraq’s Christian community, estimated to number 800,000 to 1.4 million before the American-led invasion in 2003, have already left the country.

The Islamic State of Iraq, an iteration of the insurgent group Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, claimed responsibility for the suicidal siege and said its fighters would kill Christians “wherever they can reach them.”

What followed last month were dozens of shootings and bombings in Baghdad and Mosul, the two cities outside of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. At least a dozen more Christians died, eight of them in Mosul.

Three generations of the Gorgiz family — 15 in all — fled their homes there on the morning of Nov. 23 as the killings spread. Crowded into a single room at the monastery in Qosh, they described living in a state of virtual siege, afraid to wear crosses on the streets, afraid to work or even leave their houses in the end.

The night before they left, Diana Gorgiz, 35, said she heard voices and then screams; someone had set fire to the garden of a neighbor’s house. The Iraqi Army arrived and stayed until morning, only to tell them they were not safe there anymore. The Gorgizes took it as a warning — and an indication of complicity, tacit or otherwise, by Iraq’s security forces. “When the army comes and says, ‘We cannot protect you,’ ” Ms. Gorgiz said, “what else can you believe?”

There is no exact accounting of those who have fled internally or abroad. The United Nations has registered more than 1,100 families. A steady flow of Christians to Turkey spiked in November to 243, an official there said.

The Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq offered itself as a haven and pledged to help refugees with housing and jobs. Many of those who fled are wealthy enough to afford rents in Iraqi Kurdistan; others have moved in with relatives; the worst off have ended up at the monastery here and another nearby, St. Matthew’s, one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world.

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Yasmine Mousa contributed reporting from Erbil, Iraq, and Sebnem Arsu from Istanbul.