By SIR
A message of peace and hope for Iraq, a country that is laboriously trying to be born again after the deaths and devastation of the war. This was the main meaning of the trip made in the Middle Eastern country by a delegation of Pax Christi Italia, led by its president, mgr. Giovanni Giudici, bishop of Pavia. The mission, that began on June 4th, will be ending today. Its goals included: taking aids and solidarity to the Christian communities that live in this area affected by a long conflict and tensions that have not died out yet. Over these days, mgr. Giudici explains in an interview with the weekly of the diocese of Pavia (Il Ticino) and SIR, “first we met the communities and the religious authorities. But we also met the families, both Christian and Muslim. We had a chance to talk to the leaders of Shiite and Sunni associations of the country as well”. All this, he adds, “made us reflect on peace, that is God’s great gift, and the need that the communities of believers, both Christian and Muslim, understand the commitment, which comes from religion, to respect their neighbours”.
Currently, mgr. Giudici states, “Iraq is viewed as a land that is developing its economic and industrial capabilities. One figure tells it all: over the first few months of 2011, Iraq’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product, editor’s note) has grown by 10% from the same period last year. This proves that oil is a great resource”.
However, “there are some areas of the country in which people do not feel safe yet: this makes economic development harder." In addition, “as in any developed society, in Iraq many people still live in a state of destitution: this is the result of a complex, fully developing society, in which many tensions have not died out yet”. All this, the bishop concludes, “suggests that war never solves problems, it rather tends to amplify them”.
A message of peace and hope for Iraq, a country that is laboriously trying to be born again after the deaths and devastation of the war. This was the main meaning of the trip made in the Middle Eastern country by a delegation of Pax Christi Italia, led by its president, mgr. Giovanni Giudici, bishop of Pavia. The mission, that began on June 4th, will be ending today. Its goals included: taking aids and solidarity to the Christian communities that live in this area affected by a long conflict and tensions that have not died out yet. Over these days, mgr. Giudici explains in an interview with the weekly of the diocese of Pavia (Il Ticino) and SIR, “first we met the communities and the religious authorities. But we also met the families, both Christian and Muslim. We had a chance to talk to the leaders of Shiite and Sunni associations of the country as well”. All this, he adds, “made us reflect on peace, that is God’s great gift, and the need that the communities of believers, both Christian and Muslim, understand the commitment, which comes from religion, to respect their neighbours”.
Currently, mgr. Giudici states, “Iraq is viewed as a land that is developing its economic and industrial capabilities. One figure tells it all: over the first few months of 2011, Iraq’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product, editor’s note) has grown by 10% from the same period last year. This proves that oil is a great resource”.
However, “there are some areas of the country in which people do not feel safe yet: this makes economic development harder." In addition, “as in any developed society, in Iraq many people still live in a state of destitution: this is the result of a complex, fully developing society, in which many tensions have not died out yet”. All this, the bishop concludes, “suggests that war never solves problems, it rather tends to amplify them”.