JANUARY 2022

The Brave Bishop
of Mosul and Kirkuk:
Mor Nicodemus
Daoud Matti Sharaf
Caption
BY DR. ADHID MIRI
His Excellency Mor Nicodemus Daoud Matti
Sharaf was born in Mosul, Iraq in 1976.
A graduate of Mosul Clergy Monastery
with a Bachelor of Theology, he was ordained a
monk by His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I
Iwas in 2000. Later, His Holiness appointed him as
a Lecturer at St. Ephraim Theological College in
Saidnaya, Damascus.
In 2001, His Holiness ordained Mor Nicodemus
as a full priest/Rabban and sent him to serve
for three months in Sweden. Afterward, His Holiness
sent him to Athens University in Greece to
study the language.
In 2005, His Holiness the Patriarch awarded
Rabban Daoud the Holy Cross for his meritorious
and dedicated service in the Archdiocese of Mosul.
He served at Mor Malki Church in Australia
for over three years.
His Eminence Mor Gregorios Saliba Shamoun,
Bishop of Mosul and Environs, had written to the
Patriarch asking His Holiness to ordain Rabban
Daoud Sharaf as his assistant. His Holiness summoned
Rabban Daoud for this purpose, who left his
service at Mor Malki to answer the call. On March
23 of 2010, an apostolic decree was issued whereby
Rabban Daoud was officially appointed an assistant
to Archbishop Saliba Shamoun, serving the Archdiocese
spiritually and managerially.
On November 27, 2011, His Holiness the Patriarch
of Antioch and All the East, Moran Mor
Ignatius Zakka I, as assisted by Metropolitans, consecrated
Rev. Fr. Daoud Matti Sharaf as Archbishop
of Mosul and Environs, by name “Mor Nicodemus,”
at a solemn ceremony held at the St. Peter
and St. Paul Cathedral, Mor Aphrem Monastery,
Maarat Saidnaya, Damascus, Syria.
Fall of Mosul
In early June 2014, the Islamic State extremist
group was closing in on Mosul. Iraqi Christians
and other minorities were fearful of the outcome.
But many, like the archbishop, were determined to
hold fast.
The archbishop recalls the feelings of terror
that forced Iraqi Christians to flee for their lives.
For four days, Archbishop Nicodemus heard bombs
going off outside his home in Mosul. Shuttered inside,
he knew little about what was going on as the
Iraqi army and Islamic State (IS) battled for control
of the city he loved.
Before the IS captured Mosul, Al Qaeda had a
strong presence in the city, making everyday life
difficult for both Christians and Muslims. Al Qaeda
would force Muslims to pay a heavy tax, collecting
millions, and they would kidnap Christians
for a hefty ransom.
The Great Escape
On the afternoon of June 9, 2014, the Archbishop
received a call from his friend, the Interior Minister
of Kurdistan, telling him he should leave
Mosul. How could he leave, he wondered? His car
would be a target. He couldn’t walk on the streets
for fear of being shot.
Not knowing what to do, the archbishop called
an acquaintance in the Iraqi Army who also advised
14 CHALDEAN NEWS JANUARY 2022