The Pope leaves Iraq, the historic apostolic journey concluded

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• Iraq, the Pope's Mass in Baghdad: "Unacceptable inequalities, today they have widened"

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• Pope Francis in Iraq, a journey in the name of brotherhood

• Pope Francis in Iraq, an unprecedented journey

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March 8, 2021 Pope Francis left Iraq this morning, thus concluding the historic visit of the first Pontiff to the country. Bergoglio went to Baghdad, Mosul, where he prayed in the rubble of war, and to the church of Qaraqosh devastated by Isis. Pope Francis also celebrated a mass in front of 10,000 people in the Erbil stadium. "Iraq will remain with me forever", in my heart ", he said at the end of the function. The Pontiff asked everyone to" work together in unity for a future of peace and prosperity that leaves no one behind. discriminate against anyone. "The Alitalia plane with the Pope and his entourage on board took off from Baghdad airport at 7.54, a few minutes late, to return to Rome. The arrival in Italy is expected around 13, in Rome Ciampino.

Francis arrived in Mosul, the city in northern Iraq that was a stronghold of Isis until 2017, to pray for the victims of the war. Behind him the Syriac church came down under the bombs. On the streets a military deployment to protect the Pope, with the concern that some sleeping cells could ruin this historic moment for Iraq. Then the explosion of joy in Qaraqosh, the city of the Nineveh Plain where there was the largest Christian community in the country. Francesco enters a polished cathedral, embellished with white flowers and also kissed by the sun. Three years ago the Immaculate Conception was a firing range and inside the jihadists also hid their prisoners. It is the day of the 'caress', of hope, of closeness to Christians who, together with other minorities, especially the Yazidis, have suffered under the threats of the Caliphate one of the most heinous persecutions in recent years. The road that takes the Pope from Erbil to Qaraqosh is a strip of asphalt, full of checkpoints, refugee camps, cemeteries. Eighty kilometers that were crossed by about 120 thousand Christians, most of them in a single night, between 6 and 7 August 2014, when ISIS planted black flags in Christian villages and marked the doors with the 'N 'of Nazarene, follower of Christ. The Kurds of Erbil opened the doors in those days.

According to data from the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need, one of the most active in supporting the return of Christians to the area, just under half of the families have returned to date. And Pope Francis spoke of the exodus as "incalculable damage not only for the people and communities concerned, but for the very society they leave behind". He listened with emotion to the testimonies of those who survived, and returned after years of refugee camp but also sends a message of hope because "terrorism does not have the last word". "With great sadness, we look around and see other signs, the signs of the destructive power of violence, hatred and war. How many things have been destroyed! And how much must be rebuilt! This meeting of ours - Pope Francis told Qaraqosh - proves that terrorism and death never have the last word. The last word belongs to God. " He asks Christians with his heart in his hands to "forgive" because this is the only way indicated by God. Then he applauds the experiences of coexistence, of help, of mutual respect. "It is possible to hope for reconciliation and a new life" . He reiterates that religion is never against anyone. "If God is the God of life - and he is -, it is not lawful for us to kill our brothers in his name. If God is the God of peace - and he is -, it is not lawful for us to wage war in his name. . If God is the God of love - and he is -, it is not permissible for us to hate our brothers ".

Joy then explodes in Qaraqosh: there are thousands of people in the streets waiting for him, despite the pandemic, despite the fears that remain in the heart. It is the first real 'crowd bath' in this visit to Iraq where the anti-covid measures and the security measures put in place by the Iraqi government had sealed the events, to a few hundred registered envoys. Then the Pope goes to Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, which welcomed the fleeing Christians. Celebrate Mass, the final event of this journey that seemed impossible. Like that of Abraham who "hoped against all hope", to use the words of Francis himself. "Iraq will always remain with me, in my heart", he says goodbye. "I ask all of you" to "work together in unity for a future of peace and prosperity that leaves no one behind and does not discriminate against anyone". "I pray that the members of the various religious communities, together with all men and women of good will, cooperate to forge bonds of fraternity and solidarity in the service of the common good and of peace. Salam, salam, salam! Shukrán! (Thank you) , God bless you all! God bless Iraq! Allah ma'akum! (God be with you). "Today the Pope left Iraq concluding the journey that is already in history.