In various churches across Iraq, more than 1,000 children received their First Holy Communion with many in places where the memory of martyrdom still burns. For example, the Syriac Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation, which was the site of a massacre that left dozens of worshippers dead in 2010, including two priests, and hundreds more injured.
However, perhaps the most traumatic turn of events in the past decade was the rise of ISIS, the so-called Islamic State. Their rise marked yet another wave of persecution against an already dwindling Christian population.
Pope Francis' trip in 2021 aimed to bring the needs of this minority to the attention of the country’s new authorities and to encourage their protection.
POPE FRANCIS
Iraq is called to show everyone—especially in the Middle East—that differences, instead of causing conflict, must cooperate in the harmony of civil life.
Still, however, faith in Iraq has not faded, despite the harsh reality of living in a place where Islamic fundamentalism has left trails of Christian blood behind.
JRB
Trans. CRT
