The Catholic Weekly 14 March 2021

$2 It was an extraordinary feeling to see the Holy Father visitingMosul because I would never have expected such a thing would be possible.” Sydney Chaldean Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona THE SYDNEY-BASED former Archbishop of Mosul says the visit of Pope Francis to Iraq has been “extraordinary” in bringing a powerful moment of peace to the country and the whole world. Archbishop Amel Sham- on Nona leads the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St Thom- as the Apostle of Australia and New Zealand. His flock in Sydney num- bers around 11,000 fam- ilies, compared with the 10-15 Christian families he estimates currently live and worship in the northern Iraq city where he used tominister. The prelate was elected Archbishop of Mosul in 2010 by the Synod of the Chaldean Church, following the kidnap- ping and murder of his prede- cessor, Paulos Faraj Rahho, in 2008. When Islamic State forc- es seized control of Mosul in 2014, ArchbishopAmel Sham- on Nona was forced into exile and has been living in Sydney since 2015. The ancient city in the country’s north suffered the greatest destruction dur- ing the three years it was oc- cupied, with its churches and other buildings in the main centre still in ruins or under reconstruction. “It was an ex- traordinary feeling to see the Holy Father visiting Mosul be- cause I never expected such a thing would be possible,” he told The Catholic Weekly . CONTINUED PAGE 2 ‘A beautiful moment’ Sydney-based former Archbishop of Mosul never thought papal visit to devastated Iraqwould occur ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues ANTONIO COLUBRIALE lays claim to something very few people can … saving the Pope’s “sole”. The Catholic cobbler from Bangor in Sydney’s south made a pair of red slippers for Pope John XXIII, regarded by many as one of the most pop- ular Popes of all time. Leaving his province of Cal- abria for a more exciting life in Rome, little did the then 18-year-old Antonio know how much more eventful his life would get. Being taught the art of boot making from a very young age, he secured a job in a small made-to-measure and repair outlet before completing his compulsory military service and taking a job in The Vati- can’s shoe shop. CONTINUED PAGE 6 ¾ Debbie Cramsie Cobbler put his heart and sole into job 14, March, 2021 Antonio shows a picture of a pair of papal slippers of the kind he once made for Pope St John XXIII. PHOTO:ALPHONSUS FOK Looking for a new job? www.catholicjobsonline.com.au NO, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME P13 CHRISTIANITY ... GERMAN STYLE P23 Archbishop Nona is delighted at Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq. A FOK