This past weekend saw one of the most anticipated Papal visits to a country in recent memory and the first such trip that the Pontiff has made in more than a year’s time.
His Holiness Pope Francis visited Iraq, a nation fraught with internal division and ongoing related challenges. To state that this visit was full of symbolism would be an understatement; it was made at the invitation of local Muslim leaders.
Christian communities in Iraq suffered many hardships since the 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein and from successive weak governments in Baghdad.
All faith groups in Iraq are equally Iraqi, Francis emphasized. Even before Francis’ arrival, the Vatican shared documents written in not just Arabic, but also Syriac and Amhariac – local languages used in local liturgies. This intentionally promotes a theme that Christians are not only brothers to one another but also with Iraqi Yazidis and Muslims.
The Iraqi trip served as a pilgrimage by the Holy Father not only in support of Iraq’s Christian community but also to visit sites destroyed by Islamic State when it controlled large swaths of the country. This included a visit to the Church of the Holy Immaculate Conception[1] in Qaraqosh, at one time the largest Christian-majority city in Iraq. Francis prayed among destroyed church buildings in the city of Mosul before concluding his trip in the Kurdish city of Erbil.
Another key site Francis visited is the city of Ur, traditional birthplace of the patriarch Abraham who is revered among Christians, Muslims and Jews.
The visit was a success in reminding the dwindling Iraqi Christian community that they are not forgotten. The Pope also encouraged those who still remain in the country. Sadly, the Iraqi Christian population has shrunk from 1.3 million before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to an estimated 400,000 today.[2] This number amounts to roughly 1% of the total population of Iraq.
The current political climate within Iraq is not a paradigm of optimism. Recent attacks by Iranian-aligned Shia militias in the Baghdad area illustrate a tenuous security situation. Although the Christian community has not been singled out in these attacks, they remain on edge.
Francis’ words should remind us of our faith.
“Today, however, we affirm our conviction that fraternity is more durable than fratricide, that hope is more powerful than hatred, that peace is more powerful than war,” the Pontiff said during his visit to the northern city of Mosul.
These words were not uttered for only the Christian communities but for all Iraqis. That is a powerful sentiment and a prayer as well.
[1] https://www.npr.org/2021/03/07/974520431/pope-francis-visits-iraqi-region-where-cities-and-lives-were-shattered-by-isis
[2] https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210307-pope-francis-visits-iraqi-christians-set-to-lead-prayer-for-victims-of-war
Comment by David on March 9, 2021 at 5:52 pm
The Iraq War is the gift the keeps on giving. There is no question that Saddam was brutal dictator and there was no political freedom. However, he presided over one of the most liberal of the Arab states. Women could have higher education and enter the professions. There was relative tolerance of Christianity, but all of that is gone now. Had the US kept out of this situation, things might not have gotten this bad. Essentially all of our actions in the Mideast have come back to haunt us.
Comment by td on March 11, 2021 at 12:50 pm
David- you do realize that saddam tortured and killed his own citizens, right? I don’t know what part of that makes him a good example for a freedom and liberty in an arab state.
Comment by Greg M on March 11, 2021 at 3:40 pm
Don’t forget Saddam also killed approximately 5,000 Kurds with chemical weapons. Admittedly, Saddam kept the lid on the most extreme Islamists but I’m not ready to look back to his reign as an ideal period in Iraqi history.
Comment by David on March 11, 2021 at 4:34 pm
The two responders apparently did not beyond the first sentence of my comment.
Comment by td on March 12, 2021 at 8:52 pm
David- just because i disagreed with you doesn’t mean that i didn’t read, didn’t understand, and didn’t respect your comment. It means that i disagreed with you.