By Emilio Nesrala: Staff Writer
Earlier this week, Pope Francis began the first-ever papal visit to Iraq by asking the largely Muslim population to embrace its countries Christians, a religious group that had recently been persecuted by the Islamic State group.
Prior to this, Pope Francis had taken a one-year hiatus from traveling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Pope found that taking the trip far outweighs the risks of the pandemic, explaining how he “took the decision, but after prayer and knowing the risks.”
Throughout his trip, the Pope’s call for unity shined through, stating how “only if we learn to look beyond our differences and see each other as members of the same human family will we be able to begin an effective process of rebuilding and leave to future generations a better, more just and more humane world.”
To this date, the Christian population in Iraq still faces discrimination from their Muslim counterparts, making it a top priority for Pope Francis.
