April 12, 2021
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| Photo MECC |
At the beginning of the meeting, His Beatitude went through the many stops of the visit and their impacts. He explained how the visit broke the barrier of fear among all and how the presence of the Pope gave them courage.
His Beatitude continued: “All Iraqi people were there to meet the Pope who teared up many times during the visit, especially in Hosh Al-Baya in Mosul, where ISIS had bombarded 4 churches (Syriac, Chaldean, Syriac Catholic and Armenian Orthodox). The Pope shed tears of pain on the repercussions of terrorism and extremism."
They then discussed ways to focus the Council capabilities to work on plans to enhance the ecumenical spirit and the role of youth, while supporting inter-religious dialogue initiatives in a society torn apart by religious intolerance, extremism and violence.
At the end of the meeting, Middle East Council of Churches Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs pledged activating the council’s role in Iraq through projects reflecting the council essential mission and role. Projects well needed in the Iraqi community, especially among Christians, who are waiting for effective and practical initiatives to establish their roots and role in the land of Mesopotamia, crossroad of religions and source of civilizations.