According to Rudaw, an Iraqi news agency, on February 2, security sources from the Ninevah police district said that the Islamic State blew up the Church of the Immaculate Virgin—one of the largest and oldest Chaldean churches in the ancient section of Mosul.
The security source said: “The organization finished wiring the church with explosives this morning and detonated it, leaving widespread destruction in the church and neighboring buildings.”
Prior to this, the old church — which stood on the foundation of what was the most ancient Christian church in Mosul – had withstood previous attacks by Islamic militants, including a 2008 car bomb attack.
It is of course a shame and a tragedy that the lovely Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mosul has been destroyed, but it is more of a sign of the weakness of our enemies than their strength. Churches of brick and mortar can always be built and destroyed by human hands, but nothing can destroy the Holy and Perfect Spirit of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord and Savior, who is near us, who comes to us, and who will be with us always, even to the end of time.
Beautiful
“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18