Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church continues his visit to Iraq on Sunday, March 7. This is the first time that the head of the Catholic Church has paid an official visit to this Middle Eastern country. Christians have suffered greatly from prolonged hostilities in the region. Therefore, Franciska’s main goal is to draw attention to the situation of this community.
Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq: Terrorism abuses religionArtyom Konohov00:00 / 02:57
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Much attention has been paid to Pope Francis’ historic visit to Iraq. Never before has the head of the Roman Catholic Church visited this predominantly Muslim country. However, the Christian minority has also lived in Iraq for centuries. They were one of the main targets of the terrorist group’s attack on the Islamic State.
That is why the Pope has repeatedly spoken in his speeches about the destructive nature of terrorism and how unacceptable violence in the name of religion is.
“Hatred, extremism and violence are not born in the heart of the believer. It is a betrayal of religion. We believers cannot remain silent when terrorism abuses religion.
Dark clouds of terrorism, war and violence have gathered over this country. All religious and ethnic communities have suffered, “said Pope Francis.
Pope Francis began his visit to Iraq on Friday, March 5. He has already met with Shiite spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. This influential 90-year-old clergyman rarely meets anyone. However, he has spent about an hour talking to Francis. President Bahrami Salih has also attended the first papal service in Iraq.
On Sunday, the head of the Roman Catholic Church visited the relatively recent Islamic terrorist-controlled city of Mosul and its surroundings. The Pope has said a prayer at the ruins of collapsed churches. He also visited the Christian town of Kvarakosha.
The atmosphere in this city was uplifting and thousands had gathered to see the pope with their own eyes.
During the war, many Iraqi Christians were forced to leave the country. Therefore, many of them are now following the pope’s visit from abroad on television. In his speeches, Francis has repeatedly mentioned the suffering of Christians in war-torn regions. Therefore, the main purpose of this visit is also to draw attention to the oppression of Christians and to call for them to be given the same rights and protection as other Iraqis.
The pope’s visit is despite the outbreak of a coronavirus pandemic. The head of the Roman Catholic Church and his companions have already been vaccinated. However, the first shipment of vaccines in Iraq was received only a few days ago. Therefore, there are concerns that crowds may increase the number of people infected.
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