The Pope's caress to the Christian martyrs of Iraq

The Bishop of Rome could not disappoint these tried sons of his, and he took every risk to be here by making the most important journey of his pontificate. ANDREA TORNIELLI

If the visit to Ur of the Chaldeans had a symbolic value for the whole Middle East and the whole world, today's stops in Mosul and Qaraqosh on the last full day of this historic trip to Iraq, the most important of the pontificate, have the value of testimony.

In the most Christian area of ​​the country, thousands of families have had to abandon their homes and everything they had in the face of the fury of fanaticism. The large church of the Immaculate Conception that welcomed Pope Francis had been transformed into a training base by Isis.

There was a statue of Saint Joseph half destroyed to welcome the Successor of Peter who came to confirm these communities in the faith but also to be confirmed in turn by their testimony up to the shedding of blood.

"Even in the midst of the ravages of terrorism and war, we can see, with the eyes of faith, the triumph of life over death", said Francis, inviting people to "restore not only the buildings, but even before the bonds that unite communities and families, young and old ". War, terrorism, hatred have left deep wounds in hearts, not just rubble, uprooted capitals and Madonnas with severed heads. The Pope recalled that forgiveness "is necessary to remain in love, to remain Christian" The embrace of Christians who along with other fellow citizens have suffered persecution, combined with the joyful one of the stadium of Erbil, the city where many of them fled from ISIS are the seal of a visit that everyone had advised against the Pope of to do. But the Bishop of the Church of Rome, born of the blood of martyrs, could not disappoint these sons of his. And he took every risk to bring them his caress.

VATICAN NEWS ~ ITALY ~ HOLY SEE PRESS (Translated to English 03/08/2021) Per https://www.vaticannews.va/it/papa/news/2021-03/papa-francesco-iraq-viaggio-editoriale-martiri-cristiani.html