Bagdad (Irak), 03/04/2021, Sr. Bernadette Youssef.- His Holiness Pope Francis will visit Iraq from March 5 to 8, 2021. This is a pilgrimage to the land of Abraham carrying a "message" of Hope for all. In this time of uncertainty, his visit represents a concrete gesture of closeness to all the people of this country, martyred for many years.
We, Dominican Sisters of Charity of the Presentation, feel intense joy and hope with all our Christian brothers and sisters, for the visit of the Holy Father and we are preparing along with the hospital staff and the teachers of our school, to express our joy for his coming and to welcome him, if he comes to visit us.
Three Sisters will attend the meeting with the Holy Father with the clergy and religious at the Syro-Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Deliverance in Baghdad, three of our Sisters will participate in the Holy Eucharist in Baghdad and one Sister will participate in Erbil.
For the first time in history, a Pope will be in Iraq, an amazing event for the people. We pray every day to bring about this visit in a climate of peace and communion, in spite the difficulties and challenges of the moment, Iraq awaits the man of Peace and messenger of Hope.
This visit has a national significance; he comes for all the people of Iraq. The Pope's visit is awaited with great expectation, hope, not just the Christian community whose presence is threatened, but also all the people who are waiting for an appeal for peace and fraternity. All Iraqis need a message of love and peace from a person as symbolic as the Holy Father, a message that can even resonate in all neighboring countries, because of our bond based on fraternity, that unites the monotheistic religions belonging to the same father: Abraham.
The people of Iraq hope for a message that will manifest political inconsistencies and promote unity and stability within the country and the relations with its neighbors. It is also an opportunity for a renewed attention by the whole world.
Therefore, this visit will mark a "new stage" for our Church and our country. It is such a historic event that we must prepare ourselves spiritually, ecclesiastically and nationally. Its importance lies in encouraging our people to overcome the painful past and face the present challenges which are numerous.
The Church in Iraq and those in the Middle East are under pressure and are facing various political, economic and social trials due to conflicts, extremism, immigration and the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic that have confused our vision and relationships in normal life. We must invest to make this visit, an important turning point, so that our faith and our hope becomes a commitment.
