ERBIL, KOMPAS.com – Pope Francis held the last mass in Iraq, before being scheduled to return to the Vatican.
To the thousands of devotees who packed the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, the Pope said he would always remember Iraq.
“Iraq will always be remembered, in this heart,” he said ending with a speech Greetings, Greetings, Greetings (peaceful, peaceful, peaceful).
Also read: Pope Francis Condemns Extremism as a Betrayal of Religion
Prior to Erbil, Pope Francis visited Mosul, the old town that was once the headquarters of the group ISIS.
By helicopter, he was greeted by a crowd in a city now home to few Christians.
Thousands of Christians fled Mosul in the aftermath of the ISIS occupation, which tortured, killed or imposed taxes.
When he came to the venue, the Pope stopped in front of the ruins of the cathedral and the house, and took a moment of silence.
He then led prayers in the church grounds, which were now in ruins when ISIS took control of the area in 2014.
To the masses in Mosul, the Pope expressed his concern because Iraq, which is one of the cradles of civilization, was hit by such a barbaric blow.
Also read: Pope Francis Arrives in Mosul, the City Destroyed by ISIS, This Is His Prayer
“Ancient places of worship were destroyed and thousands of people, Christians, Muslims, Yazidi, were forcibly killed or fled,” he said.
“Today, however, we must emphasize the belief of brotherhood more important than division, hope is stronger than hatred, peace is more beautiful than war.”
Pope Francis says hope cannot be shattered by bloodshed, which uses God’s name to seek destruction.
In his prayer, the Pope emphasized that if God is a living God, then of course killing fellow humans is prohibited.
If God loves peace, he said, then it is wrong to wage war against others.
“If God is a God who loves, and indeed He is, of course it is wrong if we hate our brothers,” he stressed.
Also read: Pope Francis to Visit Iraqi Christians Suffering Under ISIS
Reported Sky News Sunday (7/3/2021), at the end of his prayer, the Pope entrusted all those who died because of the conflict to the bosom of God.
“May they repent, touched by Your merciful power,” said the 84-year-old Pope.
Pope Francis then releases a white dove, which is a symbol of peace.
In 2014, the late ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared Mosul its caliphate.
The city became liberated in 2017, after a three-year war killed 9,000-11,000 people.
The Vatican hopes that the Pope’s visit to Mosul will provide strength for Christians to remain there.
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