Pope Visits Abraham's Hometown 'Ur'... "Violence in the Name of God Is Blasphemy"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Pope Francis, who visited Iraq for the first time in the 2000-year history of Catholicism, visited Ur, known as the hometown of Abraham, the common ancestor of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press (AP), on the 6th (local time), the Pope met with leaders of various sects such as Christianity, Islam, and Yazidism during his visit to the ancient ruins of Ur. The Pope stated, "Violence committed in the name of God is the greatest sacrilege," and added, "I want to assert that the greatest sacrilege in this land of Abraham, where faith was born, is to use God's name to hate brothers and sisters." He continued, "Hostility, extremism, and violence do not originate from the heart of faith but betray faith," emphasizing, "We believers must not remain silent about terrorism misusing religion."

Before visiting Ur, the Pope visited Najaf, a Shiite holy site in southern Iraq, where he met with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the highest leader of Shiite Islam, and conveyed a message of peaceful coexistence. Al-Sistani, who is 90 years old this year, is considered one of the most influential figures among Shiite believers in Iraq. According to AP, both religious leaders carefully planned the details of their historic meeting for months in advance.

On that day, the Pope arrived at Rasool Street, where the shrine of Imam Ali (the first Shiite Imam) is located in Najaf, and after getting off the escort vehicle, he walked to al-Sistani’s rented, decades-old modest home. Local residents dressed in traditional attire welcomed the Pope in front of al-Sistani’s worn and humble residence, and a dove, symbolizing peace, was released as the Pope entered the doorway. During the approximately 50-minute private meeting, the Pope urged al-Sistani that "Muslims should embrace the Christian minority in Iraq." After the meeting, al-Sistani emphasized, "Christians in Iraq should live in peace and coexistence like other Iraqis."

After visiting Najaf and Ur, the Pope returned to Baghdad and celebrated Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Due to COVID-19 prevention measures, the number of attendees was limited to 100, including Bahram Saleh, the Muslim President of Iraq, the Foreign Minister, and the Speaker of Parliament. Having completed two days of his 3-night, 4-day itinerary, the Pope is scheduled to visit Erbil, Mosul, and Baqouda the following day.

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