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Journey through Iraq: Pope Francis prays in the former "IS" stronghold of Mosul

2021-03-07T11:26:00.727Z


Pope Francis travels through Iraq under high security. On Sunday he visited Mosul - the city in which the terrorist group "Islamic State" proclaimed its "caliphate" in 2014.


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Francis in Mosul: first visit by a Pope to Iraq

Photo: VATICAN MEDIA / CPP / IPA / imago images / Independent Photo Agency Int.

Pope Francis prayed for war victims on Sunday in front of a ruined church in Mosul, northern Iraq.

The flight of Christians from Iraq and the Middle East means "immeasurable suffering not only for the individual and the communities affected, but also for the society left behind," said Francis.

The visit to Mosul is of great symbolic importance, but at the same time the most dangerous stage of the journey that began on Friday.

A helicopter escort brought Francis from Erbil to Mosul, then an armored vehicle drove to the ruined church in the center of the city.

In 2014, Mosul was overrun by the “Islamic State” (“IS”), as were large areas in the north and center of Iraq.

In Mosul, the "IS" had proclaimed its "caliphate" at the time.

The reign of terror by the extremists drove the majority of local Christians to flight.

Thousands of Yazidis, Christians and Muslims were killed by the jihadists.

Between 2016 and 2017, Iraqi forces recaptured the city with the support of the international military coalition.

In the heavy fighting, Mosul was badly damaged.

"Never stop dreaming"

The Nineveh Plain was one of the main settlement areas for Christians in Iraq until it was conquered by "IS".

After Mosul, Francis went to the nearby village of Karakosch.

There the al-Tahira church, which the "IS" had burned down, was restored, cleaned and decorated for the Pope's visit.

Francis encouraged the Qarakosh Christian community not to lose their faith.

"Never stop dreaming," said the 84-year-old.

Around 1.5 million Christians lived in Iraq at the beginning of the noughties, today there are around 400,000.

97 percent of Iraqis are Muslims, with Shiites (60 percent) being significantly more represented than Sunnis (37 percent).

Only three percent of the population belong to other religions, including Christians, Yazidis and Alevis, among others.

On Sunday afternoon, the Pope will celebrate a mass with several thousand believers in a stadium in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous region of Kurdistan.

The Pope himself and his companions are vaccinated against the corona virus.

Nevertheless, the entire visit of the Holy Father at a time when the pandemic is raging again in Iraq, caused criticism.

The first papal visit to Iraq

The head of the Catholics arrived in Iraq on Friday.

It is the first visit by a Pope to the country and the first foreign trip by Francis since the beginning of the corona pandemic.

On Saturday, Francis had already met with the Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani.

Iraq's Prime Minister declared March 6 a public holiday.

Mustafa al-Kasimi announced that the day should become the National Day of Tolerance and Coexistence.

The holiday is also intended to pay tribute to an interfaith meeting in the plain of Ur.

Francis met there on Saturday with representatives of Islam, Christianity and the Yazidis.

Contrary to expectations, representatives of Judaism did not take part in the meeting.

According to the biblical tradition from the Old Testament, Abraham came from the plain of Ur.

Icon: The mirror

mbö / dpa / AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-03-07

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