By Laura Ieraci
ROME — The Lay Centre rejoices in the recent news that the Vatican has granted permission to open the cause of canonization for Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni, a Chaldean Catholic priest, who was a dear friend of The Lay Centre during his studies in Rome.
According to Fides, the Congregation for Saints’ Causes gave the “nihil obstat” (“no objection”) May 14, permitting a diocesan bishop to open a local inquiry into a candidate’s sanctity.
The Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Detroit, headed by Bishop Francis Yohana Kalabat, will handle the process toward canonization because of the difficult conditions facing the church in Mosul.
Father Ganni, his cousin Deacon Basman Yousef Daud, and Deacons Wahid Hanna Isho and Gassan Isam Bidawed were killed June 3, 2007, in front of Holy Spirit Chaldean Catholic church in Mosul, where the young priest was pastor. Father Ganni had just finished celebrating Divine Liturgy.
The three deacons had been accompanying Father Ganni because of increasing threats against him by militants. They were reportedly shot after refusing to bow to the demands of the gunmen to convert to Islam.
According to AsiaNews, the gunmen also booby-trapped the clerics’ car with explosives to prevent others from safely recovering the bodies.
Father Ganni was born in Mosul in 1972. After earning a degree in civil engineering and performing obligatory military service under the Saddam Hussein regime, he entered seminary in Iraq. From 1996 to 2003, he studied in Rome at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, where he earned a licentiate in ecumenical theology.
During his time in Rome, he resided at the Pontifical Irish College. The Lay Centre was also located at the Pontifical Irish College at the time, and Father Ganni would often celebrate Mass for The Lay Centre resident community.
After his death, in 2010, Father Ganni’s likeness was included in a new mosaic installed behind the main altar of the college chapel, created by renowned Jesuit priest and artist Marko Rupnik. Father Ganni was 37 at the time of his murder.