“Francisco’s arrival will be medicine”

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At the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Iraqi city, Francis is expected to arrive on March 7, where Christian community has been restored at the end of the long occupation of the Islamic State.

Meanwhile, an air raid reaches the international base in Erbil and it is clear that the war remains a threat

(Vatican News). – In Erbil, in Northern Iraq, the Shia militia Guardians of the Blood has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire that hit the area between the airport and the base of the international coalition forces at night, killing a civilian contractor and injuring at least 5 people. Outrage was voiced by newly appointed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Washington’s allies.

The attempt It happens a few weeks after the Pope’s trip to the country. On March 7, Francis will be in Qaraqosh to meet the Christian community in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, which has been rebuilt after the destruction by the Islamic State. The Iraqi city is preparing for this visit, explains the father Georges Jahola, pastor among the organizers of the trip:

R. – We may be preparing in a very simple way, since Pope Francis is simple in his relationship with the people, but with great seriousness. Yesterday we had the gathering of young people who are practicing to receive the Pope with songs and prepare spiritually to receive him. We are also preparing the church because it was destroyed and burned. The restoration started a few months ago and we are in the final phase of the works, which also cover the interior.

Since the beginning of the Iraq war, we have always followed the plight of Christians in the country. What does it mean to have the Pope among you, after so much loss and pain caused by the jihadism of the Islamic State?

R. – Certainly, the Pope’s visit to us is like a remedy for the events that took place before: where there was violence, today comes peace, there comes an authority that speaks to both the political and the ecclesiastical sphere. And we need this. So the coming of the Pope is a kind of medicine for us: with him here we can certainly understand his message in depth.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception had been destroyed by the jihadists. In this sense, what does it mean to meet the Pope inside this holy and wounded building and come back here to celebrate?

A.- It is a sign of the tenacity that we have and the tenacity of the Church around the world. Supporting a badly affected community, even restoring a building, is a very important and significant sign, because this church was certainly deliberately set on fire to give these people a message, “You shouldn’t be here.” Returning to the Holy Father here means a lot and strengthens our existence here, it means going back to the roots of our history and our faith, and it tells us that the universal Church, represented by the Holy Father, is with us.

War is still going on in many parts of your country, this is the news of the past hours. How is the situation in general in Qaraqosh? Has the city been pacified? How do you live from day to day now?

A.- Since the city was liberated on October 23, 2016, there have been no signs of violence and so we have returned to our homes. The climate is very calm and peaceful as the city’s Christians are the majority and we sow what we have, so the positive things are more than the negative ones. Although the Pope’s visit is to Qaraqosh, where the majority of the faithful are Syrian Catholic, we invite the entire plain of Nineveh to participate in this event. To the Christians of all nations, of all the churches out there: Orthodox, Catholics, Chaldeans … Everyone will be invited here to participate and enjoy with us at this time.

Is there a risk that you will not be able to attend these meetings due to the pandemic?

R. – We are also working on it. People want to respect health standards to reduce contamination and not let this threat block the arrival of the Pope. We are of course very aware of this problem.

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