The Pope’s historic visit to Iraq needs

After a long wait, it was announced that the date of Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq will be between March 5 and 8 of next year. The Pope’s next trip to Iraq includes Baghdad, Mosul and Qaraqosh on the Nineveh Plain, in addition to Erbil. Visiting several cities over a 3-day period is proof of the importance of the visit and the Pope’s enthusiasm for communicating with Iraqis. The Pope has made sure to communicate directly with the people, wherever they go. The hope is that the Iraqi government will facilitate the provision of opportunities for people, especially followers of the Catholic Church, to communicate directly with Pope Francis, and that the visit is not just an opportunity for officials.
There is no doubt that the Pope’s visit to Iraq will have a special meaning for the Christians of the children of Iraq, especially the followers of the Catholic Church, although the visit does refer to all Iraqis, because it carries important connotations and messages.
The symbolism of the Pope’s visit can be reduced to three main levels: First, it represents support for the Christians of Iraq and affirms the importance of their presence in the country and its continuity despite the difficulty of living now. It is unfortunate that the number of Christians in the Arab world is declining annually. It has decreased significantly in Iraq with high emigration due to its successive crises. And after Christians made up about 12 percent of the Iraqi population, they make up a much smaller percentage, which some say is closer to 1 percent today. Iraq has lost a lot due to wars, infighting, corruption and other scourges that have affected the country. Among those losses is the loss of millions of compatriots who emigrated abroad. This visit can be a catalyst for the survival of Christians in Iraq and highlights the importance of their history and future in the country.
As for the second level, the visit is an indication of the state of Iraq and its regional and international importance, despite all the difficulties it is witnessing. Iraq is expected to be the Pope’s first destination after his stay in the Vatican this year due to the “Covid-19” epidemic. The Vatican statement issued Monday regarding the visit made it clear that the global health situation will be monitored until the visit, in case circumstances justify postponing the visit. Furthermore, the insistence on going to Iraq, after the Pope received Iraqi President Barham Salih at the Vatican last January, highlights the importance of Iraq.
At the third level, the visit constitutes an important stage in curbing extremism and curbing its advocates. In fact, this extremism comes not only from ISIS and the criminals affiliated with the terrorist organization, but from extremists who reject the religious diversity that Iraq has always enjoyed and enjoyed. The Pope’s visit to Mosul and Qaraqosh in the Nineveh Plain will be highly symbolic after ISIS followers sought to expel the people of Nineveh from their historic homeland.
The Pope said in a meeting in July (July) 2019: “I always think of Iraq … and I want to visit it with the hope that it can paint the future peacefully and through the common search for the common good of all segments of the society”. Pope Francis had noted the importance of Iraq in electing the Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq, Louis Raphael Sacco, to become cardinal, and he played an important role in shedding light on the plight of Christians and Iraqis in general.
Iraqi President Barham Salih described the upcoming visit as historic and said Iraq is “the land of messengers and saints, and the home of Abraham, peace be upon him.” He added that the visit constitutes “an eloquent message to support Iraqis of all sects and affirms the unity of humanity in their aspiration for peace, tolerance and confrontation of extremism.” All of this is true, but the visit alone, important as it is, will not achieve these efforts if all Iraqi political parties and parties do not confirm their commitment to true tolerance and respect for others. Freedom of belief and respect for human beings are principles stipulated in divine religions and in accordance with the Iraqi constitution, but in reality many Iraqis do not feel that they enjoy real protection from the state, which continues to suffer from the weakness of its apparatus security and its ability to protect the simple person.
Pope Francis is of global stature because of the many issues he has been willing to advocate, including the issues of peaceful coexistence, protection of the displaced and refugees, assistance to the poor, and protection of the environment. Pope Francis’ visit to the United Arab Emirates in February 2019 was an important step in consolidating the principles of tolerance in the region and emphasizing what unites all who live in the Arab world, regardless of their religion or beliefs. The Vatican Pope and Al-Azhar Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb signed the human brotherhood document. That visit was an important historical moment that indicates the commitment of the two religious institutions to work to build bridges between all people, in addition to working to curb all forms of extremism. The Pope’s next visit to the region will be an important stage in the continuation of this process.
The Pope’s visit to Iraq is an opportunity to look forward to a historic visit that will once again shed light on the prominent location of Iraq, as well as being an opportunity to heal the wounds of the victims of the violence and fighting that took place in the country. . There is no doubt that the vast majority of Iraqis reject these attacks against Christians by criminals from “Al Qaeda” and “ISIS” and other terrorist organizations, but at the same time it cannot be denied that these crimes occurred in Iraq and affected the general population. There is a constant need to address the consequences of these crimes legally, safely, financially and socially. Whoever has been displaced and driven out of their home must regain their rights. Those who fear for their lives need the promises of security services to protect them. In terms of social treatment, it is necessary to restore trust in some cities and towns that have witnessed sectarian strife and to return Iraqis to what they have become accustomed over the centuries of peaceful coexistence and human brotherhood.