The Pope in Mosul: fraternity is stronger than fratricide

One of the key moments, on the Pope's third day in Iraq, is the prayer of suffrage for the victims of the war in Mosul, a city devastated by the fury of IS but which has begun the path of reconstruction also with experiences of collaboration between Christians and Muslims. It is cruel - Francis says - that this country has been hit by such an inhuman storm. The Pope entrusts the dead to the Lord and prays that the persecutors repent.

Debora Donnini - Vatican City Among the rubble, where the self-styled Islamic State has sown the darkness of death and terror, the Pope brings the light of faith and hope. In a Mosul in search of the reconstruction of buildings and hearts, Francis invokes God's forgiveness and the grace of conversion while indicating that the way is to implement the plan of love and peace that the Lord has for man. A journey marked by the hope that the experiences of fraternal collaboration between Christians and Muslims give rise to in the testimonies that precede the Pope's greeting. sun, testify to the suffering of Christians and others, when Is. Between 2014 and 2017 in Hosh al-Bieaa, square of the 4 churches - Syrian-Catholic, Armenian-Orthodox, Syrian-Orthodox and Chaldean - these buildings were destroyed by terrorist attacks. But there are also the songs and the joy of the faithful on a day marked by a splendid sun, to testify all the desire to start over that is released. (Listen to the report with the Pope's voice)

The years of violence of terrorism towards Muslims, Christians and Yazidis Mosul is the symbolic place of the IS that here established its capital and carried out massacres between 2014 and 2017. From an ancient city on the west bank of the Tigris River in front of the archaeological remains of Nineveh, from a crossroads of ethnic groups and religions along the centuries, in those years it turned into a place of terror. From here, from the "city of the prophets" so called due to the presence of the tombs of five Muslim prophets, about half a million people, including over 120,000 Christians, had to flee in those dark years and the locality was subjected to systematic devastation with the destruction among other things of churches, of the mausoleum of ‛Awn ad-dīn, of Nabī Yūnis (the mausoleum of the prophet Jonah), of a wall section of the site of Nineveh, as well as very rare manuscripts and more than 100,000 books preserved in the Library, archaeological finds and even the mosque of Mūr ad-dīn. Today we are working on the reconstruction of the city, but also of the social fabric that inhabits it.

Immediately in his greeting the Pope recalls the all too evident consequences of terror: "Today - he says - we raise our voices in prayer to Almighty God for all the victims of war and armed conflicts": How cruel that this country, the cradle of civilization, has been hit by such an inhuman storm, with ancient places of worship destroyed and thousands and thousands of people - Muslims, Christians, Yazidis, who have been cruelly annihilated by terrorism, and others - forcibly displaced or killed! Today, despite everything, we reaffirm our conviction that fraternity is stronger than fratricide, that hope is stronger than death, that peace is stronger than war. This conviction speaks with a more eloquent voice than that of hatred and violence; and it can never be smothered in the blood shed by those who pervert God's name by walking paths of destruction.

The reduction of Christians is incalculable Thus, in his words echoes that emphasis that violence is a betrayal of the faith, already highlighted several times also in this apostolic journey. In his speech he recalls the touching testimonies that, before his greeting, the archbishop of Mosul and Aqra of the Chaldeans, Monsignor Najeeb Michaeel, and Father Raid (Emmanuel) Adel Kallo, parish priest of the Annunciation in Mosul, spoke of the forced displacement of many Christian families from their homes. "The tragic shrinking of the disciples of Christ, here and throughout the Middle East, is an incalculable damage not only for the people and communities concerned, but for the very society they leave behind", the Pope notes. "A cultural and religious fabric so rich in diversity is weakened by the loss of any one of its members", however small, as happens in artistic carpets, where a small torn thread can damage the whole, he stresses again. The priest is also himself, dwelt on the fraternal experience he lives with Muslims, after returning to Mosul, where he found acceptance, respect and collaboration. It is a question, the Pope emphasizes, of "signs that the Spirit makes to blossom in the desert" that give "hope for reconciliation and a new life". In his words also the reference to the testimony of Mr. Gutayba Aagha, Muslim, Head of the Social and Cultural Council for the families of Mosul, who recalled "that the true identity of this city is that of harmonious coexistence between people of different origins and cultures . For this reason - affirms the Pope - I warmly welcome your invitation to the Christian community to return to Mosul and to assume the vital role that is proper to it in the process of rehabilitation and renewal ”.

Prayer for the victims Also in the Prayer Francis reiterates that the path of violence is not the path of God: If God is the God of life - and he is - it is not permissible for us to kill our brothers in his name. If God is the God of peace - and he is - it is not permissible for us to wage war in his name. If God is the God of love - and he is -, it is not permissible for us to hate our brothers. Now let us pray together for all the victims of war, that Almighty God will grant them eternal life and endless peace, and welcome them in his loving embrace. And we also pray for all of us, so that, beyond religious affiliations, we can live in harmony and peace, aware that in the eyes of God we are all brothers and sisters.

The grace of conversion and the invocation of forgiveness Beyond the ocean of suffering and death, the Lord accompanies his children even if ungrateful men and women distracted by worries and ambitions often forget his designs for peace. This is the focus of his reflection which refers precisely to the experience of Jonah when he went to Nineveh to invite conversion and since the inhabitants of the city listened to him, "they found salvation". "We too, Lord - says the Pope - as we entrust to you the many victims of man’s hatred against man, we invoke your forgiveness and beg the grace of conversion. Kyrie eleison ”. Hence, the reference to two symbols of the city: the Al-Nouri mosque with its Al Hadba minaret and the church of Our Lady of the clock, which for more than a hundred years has reminded passers-by that life is short and time is precious . And it is precisely in the short span of our earthly life that we are called to carry out that "plan of love, peace and reconciliation" that the Lord "has entrusted to us". "Make us understand that only by putting it into practice without delay can this city and this country be rebuilt, and hearts torn by pain can be healed," he points out. And when one goes astray for selfish interests, it is central to listen to the "voice of the true men of God and to repent in time, so as not to ruin us again". So, a thought of forgiveness: We entrust to you those whose earthly life has been shortened by the violent hand of their brothers, and we also implore you for those who have harmed their brothers and sisters: repent, touched by the power of your mercy.

VATICAN NEWS ~ ITALY ~HOLY SEE PRESS : (Translated to English 03/07/2021) Per https://www.vaticannews.va/it/papa/news/2021-03/papa-francesco-viaggio-apostolico-iraq-preghiera-mosul.html