Georgena Habbaba

Georgena Habbaba is an Iraqi journalist and writer for ACI MENA as well as former Arabic-language supervisor at St. Peter Seminary for the Chaldean Patriarchate in Erbil, Iraq.

Articles by Georgena Habbaba

President Donald J. Trump is joined by legislators and Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil-Kurdistan, Iraq, left, as he signs H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018 on Dec. 11, 2018, in the Oval Office of the White House. Credit: Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead; Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Chaldean archbishop voices hope for peace under new U.S. administration

Nov 11, 2024 / 11:00 am

Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, head of the Chaldean Eparchy of Erbil, has expressed hope that the new U.S. president will positively impact peace efforts.

Nearly 2,000 young people from Christian youth groups across Iraq gathered for the seventh annual Ankawa Youth Gathering 2024 held Aug. 22–24, 2024, in the Mar Elia Shrine Courtyard in Ankawa-Erbil, Iraq. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Ankawa Youth Gathering 2024 Facebook page

Nearly 2,000 Christian youth in Iraq gather for prayer, faith formation

Aug 29, 2024 / 10:48 am

Young people from Christian youth groups across Iraq gathered for the seventh annual Ankawa Youth Gathering held Aug. 22–24 in Ankawa-Erbil.

Father Martin Banni in front of St. Barbara’s Shrine carrying the Eucharist on Liberation Day in 2016. Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Martin Banni

Iraqi priest recounts night of exodus, ISIS invasion a decade later

Aug 7, 2024 / 11:21 am

For Father Martin Banni, pastor of St. Korkis Chaldean Church in Karamlesh, Iraq, the memories of Aug. 6, 2014, remain vivid.

The 2024 Synod of the Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq. Credit: Chaldean Patriarchate

Chaldean bishops reject blessing of same-sex unions

Jul 25, 2024 / 16:30 pm

The bishops of the Chaldean Synod on July 16 issued a statement declaring their position on the blessing of same-sex unions.

An unknown security guard stands at the entrance of a church destroyed during the fighting with ISIS in Mosul, Iraq. Credit: CHRIS POOK/Shutterstock

10 years after Mosul’s destruction, will Christians come back?

Jun 14, 2024 / 06:00 am

Mosul’s exiled Christians grapple today with rebuilding their lives while demanding accountability and a future built on equity and justice.

Ongoing construction work on St. Charbel Maronite Church in Doha, Qatar, in April 2024. Credit: Father Charbel Mhanna

Qatar’s St. Charbel Maronite Church prepares to welcome worshippers

May 10, 2024 / 06:00 am

Once completed, St. Charbel will be Qatar’s largest Catholic church and the second Catholic church in the country.

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako (second from left), patriarch of the Chaldean Church, returned to Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, after being absent from his patriarchal seat since July 2023. Along with Bishop Thomas Mirm (right), the patriarch made his way to the Patriarchal Palace, where Bishops Shlimon Warduni (not pictured) and Basilios Yaldo (left) welcomed him, joined by priests from Baghdad's archdiocese. Credit: Courtesy of Chaldean Patriarchate

Cardinal Sako returns to Baghdad at invitation of Iraqi prime minister

Apr 15, 2024 / 11:32 am

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Church, returned to Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, after being absent from his patriarchal seat since last July.

Kidnapped by ISIS, priest in Iraq recounts story of facing fear with faith

Apr 14, 2024 / 06:00 am

A Syriac Catholic priest in Mosul opens up about his nine-day kidnapping ordeal.

Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako speaks with Rody Sher of ACI MENA. Credit: ACI Mena

Chaldean patriarch urges preservation of rights for Iraq’s diverse communities

Mar 12, 2024 / 16:15 pm

As the 21st anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime approaches, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako has called for a reevaluation of the country’s political process.