Currents News Staff
Representatives of different religions who attended the interreligious meeting in Ur shared their impressions of the pontiff’s presence in their country.
“I was very very happy when I heard Pope Francis was coming to my city,” one man said. “His visit to my city sends a message about the war. And this for us is peace. He invited all to come pray, to come live to come work.”
“This visit is not only related to religious matters, but it is political also,” one woman said. “So we hope that the pope and his power will silence guns and begin a new time of peace in Iraq.”
“I have a message for him: to bring to Iraq freedom for all our religions, and peace,” another attendee said who attended the inter religious dialogue meeting. “Because my tribe and all our people are between the border of Kurdistan and Iraq. The violence is very very bad, from Daesh and other terrorist groups.”
“My friends, they are Muslims, they are Christians, and we are not different from each other,” another woman said who also attended. “So we hope the visit of the Papa will stick us together and give us more strength and more peace for Iraq and for the whole world.”
There’s an overwhelming sense of hope and optimism that Pope Francis’ pilgrimage of fraternity and peace will be another step toward the coexistence and friendship they have envisioned for so many years.