“Christians need to be recognized not only by the words, but on the ground as equal citizens,” said Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan after the papl March trip to Iraq.
Patriarch: Iraqi Christians hope goodwill from papal trip carries over
Cleanse your hearts of anger, live the Gospel, pope says at Mass in Iraq
After a full morning paying tribute to the victims of Islamic State violence, Pope Francis reached the last major event of his trip to Iraq: Mass March 7 with some 10,000 people at Irbil’s Franso Hariri Stadium.
Hostility, violence are ‘betrayals’ of religion, pope says in Iraq
Pope Francis arrived in Ur after a 45-minute early morning meeting in Najaf with 90-year-old Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of Shiite Islam’s most authoritative figures.
Pope: Honor martyrs by remaining faithful, working for a better Iraq
Visiting a Baghdad cathedral “hallowed by the blood of our brothers and sisters” murdered in a terrorist attack that shook the world, Pope Francis said their sacrifice must motivate faith and a commitment to working for the common good.
Pope Francis: An essential traveler ready to go
“I am the pastor of people who are suffering,” Pope Francis told Catholic News Service Feb. 1 during a discussion about his Iraq trip. In a sign of his determination to travel to Iraq, the pope indicated to CNS that he would consider taking a regular commercial flight to get there if needed.