Pope Francis: I am not going to disappoint the people of Iraq. They attack an air base in Iraq 2 days after the visit of Pope Francis.

 

Pope Francis will be the first pontiff to visit Iraq despite concerns for his security. The pope assured that he will not disappoint Iraqis. At least 10 missiles were fired at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq. No damage or casualties are reported. This attack occurs two days after the Pope's arrival in the country. However, Francisco's visit continues. A Vatican spokesman said this trip should be interpreted as "an act of love."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement urging people to choose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines over Johnson & Johnson's. Guatemala received this Wednesday a batch of 200,000 doses of Covishield vaccines produced in India under the license of Astrazeneca. In California, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department indicated that it will retrieve and examine data from the black box in Tiger Woods' vehicle as part of the accident investigation.

Religious organizations on Pope Francis' trip to Iraq

Twenty-nine non-governmental organizations of religious inspiration working in Iraq issued a statement on the occasion of the visit that Pope Francis will make to this nation from March 5 to 8

In the joint interreligious declaration of the religious organizations working in Iraq on the occasion of the apostolic visit of the Holy Father Francis that will take place from 5 to 8 this month of March, the twenty-nine NGOs write “the undersigned religious organizations working in Iraq, Representing the call of our respective religions to human solidarity, we welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to the cradle of Abraham, Father of many in faith ”.

The cradle of Abraham, Father of many in faith

“Iraq is the cradle of human civilization and a beautiful country of rich cultural and religious diversity. For centuries, many ethnic and religious communities have coexisted on this land. However, in recent decades, Iraq has suffered from war, insecurity and instability and, more recently, the rise of ISIS ”

They also affirm that “this sequence of conflicts has deeply strained relations between communities and has damaged the social fabric of the country. Today, Iraq continues to face daunting challenges. Among the 1.2 million Iraqis who remain internally displaced and the approximately 4.8 million returnees, many are in dire need of help. "

"Meanwhile, the worsening economic crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is pushing many into poverty and depriving the government of the resources necessary to help its own people."

Fratelli tutti and the Abu Dhabi Document

And they recall that in his recent encyclical letter Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis writes
that religions have an important role to play in the service of brotherhood in our world. As the Abu Dhabi Document on Human Fraternity further explains:

“Faith leads the believer to see in the other a brother or sister who must be supported and loved (...). Believers are called to express this human brotherhood by safeguarding creation and the entire universe and supporting all people, especially the poorest and most needy "

For this reason, as religious organizations, they “fully embrace this message of brotherhood and dialogue that Pope Francis brings to Iraq”, adding:

"We firmly believe that it represents a necessary path to heal the wounds of the past and build a future for the diverse communities of the country"

Help communities reconcile

And they explain that they work "in collaboration with national and local authorities to help communities reconcile, rebuild peace and claim their collective rights to security, services and livelihoods." So, "inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis on human brotherhood," they add:

“We are committed to: continue serving and empowering people solely based on their needs, rejecting any form of discrimination. Respecting the cultural values ​​and religious convictions of others while continuing to reject all sectarianism and proselytism in our actions and in our associations. Strengthen inclusive initiatives and approaches that foster social cohesion. Intensify collaboration between us at the service of those in need, while living our common call to solidarity ”.

"Finally, we urge the international community to remain committed to supporting the Iraqi people to overcome their current challenges, in a true spirit of human brotherhood and solidarity."