Iraqi Christians held a Sunday mass in their church one week to the day after an attack by Islamic militants that left 58 people dead.
    
Worshippers gathered in Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church, even though the Chaldean Catholic facility still has bullet holes and blood stains on the ceiling.

"We will perform a strange kind of prayer, because Christ tells us -- 'Love your enemies,"' Father Mukhlis, the priest who led the mass, told the congregation.

"We will pray for those who assaulted our church and shed the blood of our martyrs," he said.

Mukhlis cautioned the assembly not to put their faith in the country's leadership or its security forces for protection.

"No politician, no state and nobody else can protect us," he said. "Only God can protect us."
    
Meanwhile in London, Iraqi Archbishop Athanasios Dawood told BBC television that Christians may be safe "if there is a change of regime in Iraq and there is a new government ... but if there is no protection, then our people should emigrate from Iraq."

Last month's attack was the deadliest against Iraq's Christian community since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.