The “Islamic State” controlled Mosul from 2014 to 2017. The bloody battles between Islamists and Iraqi security forces, backed by an international coalition, destroyed many of the city’s ancient mosques and churches.
“How cruel that this country, the cradle of civilization, has been hit by such a barbaric blow, destroying ancient places of worship and forcing the movement or killing of many thousands of Muslims, Christians, Jesuits and others,” the pope said, standing among the ruins of conflict-torn buildings in Old Mosul.
However, the Pope stressed that brotherhood, hope, and peace are stronger than hatred and war, and recalled that it is always wrong to hate, kill, or fight in the name of God.
Francis called on Christians in Iraq and the Middle East to remain in their homeland.
He said that the exodus of Christians from Iraq and the region was doing incalculable harm to the society they were leaving.
Attacks by the “Islamic State” have forced thousands of Christians to leave Iraq’s Nineveh province, and the Christian community in Iraq has shrunk to about 400,000.
Before the US-led invasion in 2003, there were about 1.5 million Christians living in Iraq.
Francis’ visit to Iraq will last four days, during which the Pope’s security will be intensified.
A visit to Mosul is probably the most dangerous part of the visit, as Iraqi security forces in the region are still fighting the cells of the “Islamic State”.
On the first day of his visit on Friday, Francis met with the Prime Minister and President of Iraq and visited churches in Baghdad.
On Saturday, the Pope met with the influential Shiite cleric, Ally as Sistani, in influential Shiite clergy and visited Ur, who is mentioned in the Bible as the residence of the Old Testament patriarch Abram.
Today, the Pope also visited Erbil and Caracos.
