Remains of two priests martyred by Ottomans found in Iraqi chapel

According to Crux, the priests in question are believed to be Syrian Catholic Father Yusuf Jabo Sakarya of Mosul and Father Behnam Hanam Mikho Khozymi, a monk of the order of the Brothers of Saint Ephrem. In June of 1915, the pair traveled from Mosul to Qaraqosh to celebrate the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul. It was while entering the city that they were murdered by Turkish gendarmes.

These are just two martyrs from a time when Catholics faced fierce persecution from the Ottoman empire. It is suggested that more than a quarter million Chaldean Catholics were murdered for their faith in the early 20th century. Of these, few have been formally identified due to their interment in unmarked or mass graves. 

In 2018, the Vatican opened a cause for these Chaldean Catholics, which included 40 names of those martyred for their faith. Often referred to as the “Great Cause,” the 40 names include four Chaldean bishops, numerous priests, seven Dominican nuns, and lay people. The cause is expected to be concluded this year. 

Crux notes that the excavation of the chapel was undertaken by four forensic physicians from Italy. The team exhumed the remains of the two priests over the course of a four-day excavation. 

In response to the discovery of the remains, Father Luis Escalante, the postulator of the martyrdom cause, commented: 

Read the full story at Crux Now.