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"May the voice of builders and peacemakers find a hearing! The voice of the humble, the poor, the ordinary men and women who want to live, work and pray in peace."
By La Croix International staff | Iraq
Pope Francis who arrived in Iraq, has in his first official speech there, called for solidarity and the need to rebuild well, so that all can enjoy a dignified life.
"May there be an end to acts of violence and extremism, factions and intolerance! May room be made for all those citizens who seek to cooperate in building up this country through dialogue and through frank, sincere and constructive discussion," Pope Francis said March 5, addressing Iraqi President Barham Salih, other government leaders and diplomats serving in Iraq at the Presidential Palace in his first official meeting.
The pope met the officials soon after he was officially welcomed at the Baghdad airport by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, the Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq, Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, representatives of the Chaldean Archeparchy of Baghdad, the Latin Archdiocese of Baghdad, the Syriac Archeparchy of Baghdad, and the Armenian Archeparchy of Baghdad.
"I come as a penitent, asking forgiveness of heaven and my brothers and sisters for so much destruction and cruelty," Pope Francis said during his speech at the Presidential Palace. "I come as a pilgrim of peace in the name of Christ, the Prince of Peace. How much we have prayed in these years for peace in Iraq."
Pope Francis stressed on peace in Iraq where wars, terrorism, and sectarian conflicts have plagued it over several decades.
"May the clash of arms be silenced! May their spread be curbed, here and everywhere," he said. "May the voice of builders and peacemakers find a hearing! The voice of the humble, the poor, the ordinary men and women who want to live, work and pray in peace."
Religion, Francis insisted, "must be at the service of peace and fraternity." Religion, by its very nature, must be at the service of peace and fraternity.
Hence, the name of God cannot be used "to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism and oppression."
The problems facing Iraq can be overcome by building a society based on fraternal union, solidarity and through concrete acts of care and service, especially for the vulnerable and those most in need such as those who have lost family members and loved ones, home and livelihood due to violence, persecution or terrorism, the pope said.
"Fraternal coexistence calls for patient and honest dialogue, protected by justice and by respect for law," he said.
"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," he said.
The pope also spoke about the COVID-19 pandemic that had almost derailed his visit, his first foreign trip in 15 months and his 33rd outside Italy.
"We never emerge from a crisis the same as we were; we emerge from it either better or worse," the pope said, adding that a society that lives fraternal unity in solidarity with one another, comes out better.
For this to happen, the pope said, "it is essential to ensure the participation of all political, social and religious groups and to guarantee the fundamental rights of all citizens."
"May no one be considered a second-class citizen," he urged.
At the Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation
Fraternal coexistence was also the theme of Francis' address to bishops, clergy and religious in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad, where he stressed the importance of sowing seeds of reconciliation and fraternal coexistence that can lead to a rebirth of hope for everyone.
"We know how easy it is to be infected by the virus of discouragement that at times seems to spread all around us," he said. "Yet the Lord has given us an effective vaccine against that nasty virus. It is the hope born of persevering prayer and daily fidelity to our apostolates."
"The love of Christ," he said, "summons us to set aside every kind of self-centredness or competition; it impels us to universal communion and challenges us to form a community of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another."
"How important is this witness of fraternal union in a world all too often fragmented and torn by division," he said. "Every effort made to build bridges between ecclesial, parish and diocesan communities and institutions will serve as a prophetic gesture on the part of the Church in Iraq and a fruitful response to Jesus' prayer that all may be one."
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