Pope Francis, First Visit to Iraq in 2000 Years of Catholic History

Pope: "I Go as a Pilgrim of Repentance and Peace"
Proceeding Despite COVID-19 and Security Concerns

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Pope Francis will visit Iraq for the first time in the 2000-year history of Catholicism. On the 4th (local time), a day before boarding the plane to Iraq, the Pope expressed his anticipation through a video message, saying, "I am going as a pilgrim of repentance and peace."

For Iraq, which has suffered from war and terrorism over the past several years, he described himself as a "pilgrim of repentance" who "pleads to God for forgiveness and reconciliation and brings comfort to the heart and healing to wounds."

He also mentioned that he is a "pilgrim of peace" seeking fraternity with the hope of praying and walking together with brothers and sisters of different religions under the sign of the "ancestor Abraham," who unites Muslims, Jews, and Christians as one family.

Pope Francis added, "Let us never succumb to the power of evil," and prayed that "we endure with the power of humble love, remembering the many martyrs of Iraq."

The Pope will visit Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil, and Ur in Iraq from the 5th to the 8th for three nights and four days, meeting with Islamic Shia leaders and others.

Pope Francis's visit to Iraq is the first in the 2000-year history of Catholicism. Pope John Paul II had planned to visit Iraq in 1999, but it was canceled due to safety concerns.

Meanwhile, regarding this visit, there were calls both inside and outside the Vatican to postpone it due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 and unstable security, but the Pope reportedly did not waver in his intention to visit Iraq, saying, "It is worth taking the risk."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.