Aid to the Church in Need healing wounds of religious extremism

Over the last years Christians in Africa have been the target of unprecedented attacks by Islamic extremists. This is why Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the Pontifical Foundation supporting persecuted Christians in world, has approved the allocation of more than  $9,5 million for a new campaign to reach out to the victims and promote peaceful coexistence.

A crucial mission

Dubbed “Heal the wounds of religious extremism in Africa”, the campaign supports a number of initiatives and programmes aimed at mitigating “the suffering of the people and enable them to experience a little Easter hope”, Dr Thomas Heine-Geldern, ACN executive president, has explained. “The Catholic Church in Africa is itself often one of the victims, but more than anything it is an important source of support, reconciliation and healing for all who are suffering violence. For this reason, ACN considers the aid it provides to the Church of the ‘continent of martyrs’ one of its most crucial missions, now more than ever,” Dr Heine-Geldern says.

Promoting interreligious dialogue 

One of the key priorities of the African Church’s mission is the promotion of interreligious dialogue to further understanding and fraternity on all sides. In the predominantly Islamic country of Mali, for example, ACN is helping the Institute for Islamo-Christian Formation erect a new building in the capital of Bamako to make interreligious courses accessible to more students.

Healing the wounds

But true peace also requires healing the wounds of the trauma experienced by the victims of Islamist terrorism. To assist their rehabilitation, ACN is sponsoring several projects focused on spiritual and psychological training. One of these projects is taking place in the Diocese of Maiduguri, Nigeria, where the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram has left two thousand traumatized widows and several thousands of orphans. ACN has helped set up a centre training trauma therapists to assist the victims.

Funding spiritual retreats and training courses for priests and religious

Aid to the Church in Need also provides funding for spiritual retreats and training courses for priests and religious to help them live out their vocations in dangerous conditions. The pontifical foundation sponsors regular seminars for priests and religious in countries like Burkina Faso (where tens of thousands of people have been displaced by Islamist attacks and many Christians have been killed over the last few years), but also in Cameroon, Nigeria and the Central African Republic.

Additionally, ACN helps priests and religious earn their livelihoods and offers them means of transportation so they can carry out their work to assist victims of Islamist violence. 26 religious women in the Diocese of Pemba in the war-torn Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado have benefited from this kind of aid.

Supporting the reconstruction of churches 

Finally, the Catholic foundation is supporting the reconstruction of churches and religious infrastructure which have been damaged by Islamist groups. For example, in the predominantly Islamic country of Niger, funds have been granted to rebuild a parish church in the city of Zinder, which was destroyed in 2015 in retaliation for the publication of the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed by the French magazine “Charlie Hebdo”.

12 African countries figuring in the "red list" of ACN's report on religious freedom

According to the Aid to the Church in Need's 2021 Report on Religious Freedom in the World, published last week, Africa includes 12 of the 26 countries figuring in the red category, which denotes the existence of persecution. These are: Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Mozambique, Gibuti, Somalia and Lybia.

Aid to the Church in Need has released its 15th annual Report 

on Religious Freedom in the World

from Vatican News

The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (CAN) has released its 15th annual Report on Religious Freedom in the World, noting serious threats worldwide to this fundamental right.

Religious freedom not respected

The Report found that religious freedom is not respected in almost one out of every three countries (31.6%) around the world. The situation has grown worse in 95% of those places; and in 26 nations, people are suffering religious persecution. Nine countries – Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mozambique, Malaysia and Sri Lanka – appeared on the list for the first time.

The threat of radicalisation

A press release from Aid to the Church in Need drew attention to some of the main conclusions in the report, including the radicalisation of the African continent, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Africa. The report notes “a dramatic increase in the presence of jihadist groups,” along with “extreme persecution such as mass killings” in 42% of all African countries.

The Report, however, also warns of global radicalisation, with the threat of “transnational Islamist networks” aimed at “creating a so-called ‘transcontinental caliphate’.”

Modern attacks on religious freedom

In addition to traditional attacks on religious freedom, ACN also describes a “new trend” of the abuse of modern technology – including digital technology, mass surveillance and artificial intelligence – to increase control of and discrimination against believers. The Report singles out China as the country where this is most evident.

Other areas of concern include countries where changing one’s religion can lead to severe consequences, including even the death penalty; and the use of sexual violence, including abduction, rape and forced conversion, against members of religious minorities.

‘Polite persecution’ on the rise

The Report also denounces a rise in Western nations of what Pope Francis has called “polite persecution,” which describes “how new cultural norms and values come into profound conflict with the individual’s rights to freedom of conscience, and consign religion” to churches, synagogues or mosques.

Religious freedom and the pandemic

Finally, ACN’s Report on Religious Freedom addressed the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on religious freedom, noting that some countries have disproportionately limited religious activities as compared to secular activities. In some countries, the Report states, humanitarian aid has been withheld from religious minorities; and in some places, the pandemic has been “used as a pretext to stigmatise certain religious groups for allegedly spreading/causing the pandemic.”

Holy See and United Nations appeal for human fraternity

Cardinal Pietro Parolin gave a discourse on Thursday, focusing on important themes in Pope Francis’s latest Encyclical, Fratelli tutti, in order to reflect on the impact that the crisis generated by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic is having on the international community and the entire human family.

The high-level online event on “Fraternity, Multilateralism and Peace” was divided into two panels. The first, dedicated to the importance of multilateralism, saw Cardinal Parolin and UN officials reflect on this important theme. The second panel, opened by a discourse from the President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Miguel Ayuso Guixot, analyzed how interreligious dialogue can contribute to promoting a culture of social justice, dialogue and peace on the path toward human fraternity.

The virtual meeting was organized by the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and promoted by the Mission of the Order of Malta to the UN in Geneva, with the collaboration of the International Catholic Migration Commission, the Forum of Catholic NGOs, the Caritas in Veritate Foundation, as well as the Pontifical Lateran University.

Fraternity at center of Holy See’s diplomatic actions

In his discourse, Cardinal Parolin highlighted that to fully understand the concept of fraternity and its place in the Holy See’s multilateral diplomatic action, it is important to recall that fraternity was the first theme Pope Francis referred to on the day of his election as Pope, eight years ago. On that day in fact, Pope Francis said: “Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world, that there may be a great spirit of fraternity.”

“All the subsequent actions and activities of the Pontificate have been a natural and coherent consequence of a path oriented towards it,” Cardinal Parolin said.

Re-echoing Pope Francis’ 2017 message to the President of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, Cardinal Parolin noted that “while solidarity is the principle of social planning that allows the unequal to become equal; fraternity is what allows the equal to be different people. Fraternity allows people who are equal in their essence, dignity, freedom, and their fundamental rights to participate differently in the common good according to their abilities, their life plan, their vocation, their work, or their charism of service.”

In the same regard, continued the Cardinal, fraternity, when applied to multilateral action, translates into “the courage and generosity to freely establish certain common goals and to ensure their fulfilment of certain essential norms throughout the world” while maintaining faith with legitimately manifested will and resolving disputes through means offered by diplomacy, to achieve “a truly universal common good and the protection of weaker states.”

Therefore, in the present time – one year after the start of the pandemic - fraternity is important to help overcome the current dichotomy between the “code of efficiency” and the “code of solidarity”, as it pushes the world towards “an even more demanding and inclusive code,” Cardinal Parolin stressed.

Equal access to healthcare

In line with efforts towards achieving fraternity, Cardinal Parolin went on to propose some reflections on access to healthcare, refugees, work, international humanitarian law and disarmament.

As regards healthcare, the Vatican Secretary of State highlighted the “indissoluble bond” experienced around the world in the past year due to the pandemic, which has aroused the awareness that we are in the same boat and that the suffering of one affects all. He however lamented that this bond has given way to a race for vaccines and treatments at national levels, further making evident the gap in access to healthcare between developed countries and the rest of the world.

On this issue, Cardinal Parolin noted that the Holy See has issued a set of guidelines, inspired by a conviction of the importance of fraternity. Also from this perspective, the Cardinal emphasized that “the international community has an obligation to ensure that any Covid-19 vaccine and treatment is safe, available, accessible and affordable to all who need it.”

Care for refugees

“Attention to the neediest and those in vulnerable situations, especially refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons, is not only a testimony of fraternity, but a recognition of a concern for the real needs of our sisters and brothers,” the Vatican Secretary of State affirmed.

Recalling Pope Francis’ incessant appeals to leaders and international organizations for a globalization of solidarity capable of supplanting indifference, he bemoaned the suffering of refugees which continues to be a “wound in the social fabric of the international community” even in the year that marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).               

The Cardinal went on to reaffirm the Holy See’s support for the underlying vision of the Global Compact on Refugees which seeks to strengthen international cooperation through equitable sharing of responsibility for a sustainable solution to refugee situations.

Workers, hard-hit by pandemic

Another group significantly impacted by global pandemic containment strategies is workers, including informal workers, small business owners and traders, “who have seen an erosion of their savings and have often faced systematic barriers to accessing basic health care,” Cardinal Parolin pointed out.

To respond to this, he proposed that the traditional format of social dialogue be expanded to include the involvement of workers’ and employers’ organizations, complemented by actors in the informal economy, as well as a consideration for environmental protection.

Citing Fratelli tutti, the Cardinal insisted that we need to think about “social, political and economic participation that can include popular movements and invigorate local, national and international governing structures with that torrent of moral energy that springs from including the excluded in the building of a common destiny.”

Need to strengthen international humanitarian law

Cardinal Parolin went on to re-emphasize the importance of strengthening and promoting a respect for humanitarian law, stressing that it aims to safeguard the essential principles of humanity, protect civilians and ban the use of certain weapons in the context of war, which itself, is inhuman and dehumanizing.

He recalled that Henry Durant, the founder of the Red Cross, was inspired by a sense of fraternity when he convinced local populations and volunteers to provide aid to parties in conflict regardless of their affiliation. He added that in the same vein, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 represent an implicit recognition of the bond of fraternity that unites peoples, as well an acknowledgement of the need to set limits in conflicts.

In this regard, the Cardinal reiterated the Holy See’s hopes that States will achieve further development in humanitarian law “in order to take proper account of the characteristics of contemporary armed conflicts and the physical, moral and spiritual suffering that goes with them, with the aim of eliminating conflicts altogether.”

Disarmament

“The desire for peace, security and stability is in fact one of the deepest desires of the human heart, since it is rooted in the Creator, who makes all peoples members of the human family,” Cardinal Parolin said.

This aspiration, he insisted, cannot be satisfied by military means alone, and even less by the possession of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

He further noted that “it is not rhetorical to say that war is the antithesis of fraternity as “conflicts always cause suffering” – in those who experience them, but also in those who fight in them.

Despite some encouraging signs, including the re-entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Cardinal Parolin laments the huge amounts allocated to armaments, pointing out that the disproportion between the material resources and human talents dedicated to the service of death and the resources dedicated to the service of life is a cause for scandal.

The Cardinal therefore seized the opportunity presented by the online event to reiterate the Holy See’s encouragement for efforts by States in the field of disarmament and arms control towards lasting peace and nuclear disarmament.

Concluding his discourse, the Vatican Secretary of State noted that it is not enough to proclaim commitment or encourage efforts in response to these great challenges, rather we are invited to respond concretely through individual responsibility and the capacity to share in a reciprocity of relationships through a spirit of fraternity that will help to overcome isolation. He added that that Pope Francis’ calls demand a presence and conduct that “responds to the actuality of relations between states and between peoples, especially when attitudes that abandon the vision of the common good seem to prevail.”

PCID sends greetings to Muslims as Ramadan begins

Adressing "all Muslim brothers and sisters", the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue's Message for the month of Ramadam and ‘Id al-Fitr begins by passing on "fraternal good wishes for a month rich in divine blessings and spiritual advancement". The Message notes that "fasting, along with prayer, almsgiving and other pious practices, brings us closer to God our Creator and to all those with whom we live and work, and helps us to continue walking together on the path of fraternity".

Comforting gestures

Noting that over the last few months "of suffering, anguish and sorrow", especially during the lockdown periods, "we sensed our need for divine assistance, but also for expressions and gestures of fraternal solidarity". There are so many small gestures, continues the Message: a telephone call, a message of support and comfort, a prayer, help in buying medicines or food, advice to simply "show the security of knowing that someone is always there for us in times of necessity".

This need for divine assistance that we need and seek "is manifold", continues the Message: God’s mercy, pardon, providence and other spiritual and material gifts. "Yet, what we need most in these times, is hope". 

Hope 

The Message then turns its attention to the importance of "hope". "As we are aware", it reads, "while certainly including optimism", hope goes beyond it. The Message explains that "while optimism is a human attitude, hope has its basis in something religious: God loves us, and therefore cares for us through his providence". 

"Hope arises from our belief that all our problems and trials have a meaning, a value and a purpose, however difficult or impossible it may be for us to understand the reason for them or to find a way out of them.

"Hope also carries with it belief in the goodness present in the heart of every person. Many times, in situations of difficulty and despair, help, and the hope it brings, can come from those whom we least expect".

Fraternity, a source of hope 

The Message then notes that "human fraternity, in its numerous manifestations, thus becomes a source of hope for all, especially for those in any kind of need.

It continues with a word of gratitude. "Thank you to all those who so prompty reacted by showing the utmost signs of solidairty in times of crises. All these persons and their goodness remind us believers that the spirit of fraternity is universal, and that it transcends all boundaries: ethnic, religious, social and economic", reads the Message. "In adopting this spirit, we imitate God, who looks benevolently upon the humanity he created, upon all other creatures and upon the entire universe. This is why the growing care and concern for the planet, our 'common home', is, according to Pope Francis, yet another sign of hope.

Fighting enemies of hope

"We are also aware that hope has its enemies," warns the Message. "Lack of faith in God’s love and care; loss of trust in our brothers and sisters; pessimism; despair and its opposite, unfounded presumption; unfair generalizations based on one’s own negative experiences, and so forth", are all enemies to faith it says. "These harmful thoughts, attitudes and reactions must be effectively countered, so as to strengthen hope in God and trust in all our brothers and sisters".

Pope's invitation to renewed hope

Bringing the Message to an end, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue notes that in his most recent encyclical, Fratelli tutti, "Pope Francis speaks frequently of hope". In it, he says, “I invite everyone to renewed hope, ‘for hope speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfilment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love… and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile’. Let us continue, then, to advance along the paths of hope”.

Finally, the Message reads that "we, Christians and Muslims, are called to be bearers of hope, for the present life and for the life to come, and to be witnesses, restorers and builders of this hope, especially for those experiencing difficulties and despair". And in a sign of spiritual solidarity, it says, "we assure you of our prayer, and we send best wishes for a peaceful and fruitful Ramadan, and for a joyful ‘Id al-Fitr."

MESSAGE FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADAN AND ‘ID Al-FITR 1442 H. / 2021 A.D. Vatican

Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of Hope

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,

We at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue are glad to offer you our fraternal good wishes for a month rich in divine blessings and spiritual advancement. Fasting, along with prayer, almsgiving and other pious practices, brings us closer to God our Creator and to all those with whom we live and work, and helps us to continue walking together on the path of fraternity.

During these long months of suffering, anguish and sorrow, especially during the lockdown periods, we sensed our need for divine assistance, but also for expressions and gestures of fraternal solidarity: a telephone call, a message of support and comfort, a prayer, help in buying medicines or food, advice, and, to put it simply, the security of knowing that someone is always there for us in times of necessity.

The divine assistance that we need and seek, especially in circumstances like those of the current pandemic, is manifold: God’s mercy, pardon, providence and other spiritual and material gifts. Yet, what we need most in these times, is hope. At this time, then, we think it fitting to share with you some reflections on this virtue.

As we are aware, hope, while certainly including optimism, goes beyond it. While optimism is a human attitude, hope has its basis in something religious: God loves us, and therefore cares for us through his providence. He does this in his own mysterious ways, which are not always comprehensible to us. In these situations, we are like children who are certain of the loving care of their parents, but are not yet able to comprehend its full extent.

Hope arises from our belief that all our problems and trials have a meaning, a value and a purpose, however difficult or impossible it may be for us to understand the reason for them or to find a way out of them.

Hope also carries with it belief in the goodness present in the heart of every person. Many times, in situations of difficulty and despair, help, and the hope it brings, can come from those whom we least expect.

Human fraternity, in its numerous manifestations, thus becomes a source of hope for all, especially for those in any kind of need. Thanks be to God our Creator, and to our fellow men and women, for the quick response and generous solidarity shown by believers and also persons of good will with no religious affiliation in times of disaster, whether natural or man-made, like conflicts and wars. All these persons and their goodness remind us believers that the spirit of fraternity is universal, and that it transcends all boundaries: ethnic, religious, social and economic. In adopting this spirit, we imitate God, who looks benevolently upon the humanity he created, upon all other creatures and upon the entire universe. This is why the growing care and concern for the planet, our “common home”, is, according to Pope Francis, yet another sign of hope.

We are also aware that hope has its enemies: lack of faith in God’s love and care; loss of trust in our brothers and sisters; pessimism; despair and its opposite, unfounded

presumption; unfair generalizations based on one’s own negative experiences, and so forth. These harmful thoughts, attitudes and reactions must be effectively countered, so as to strengthen hope in God and trust in all our brothers and sisters.

In his recent Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis speaks frequently of hope. There he tells us: “I invite everyone to renewed hope, ‘for hope speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfilment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love… and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile’ (cf. Gaudium et spes, 1). Let us continue, then, to advance along the paths of hope” (No. 55).

We, Christians and Muslims, are called to be bearers of hope, for the present life and for the life to come, and to be witnesses, restorers and builders of this hope, especially for those experiencing difficulties and despair.

As a sign of our spiritual fraternity, we assure you of our prayer, and we send best wishes for a peaceful and fruitful Ramadan, and for a joyful ‘Id al-Fitr.

From the Vatican, 29 March 2021

Miguel Ángel Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ

President

Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku Janakaratne Kankanamalage

Secretary

Pope backs multi-faith efforts to eradicate child sexual abuse

In a message to religious leaders, scholars and experts from various fields participating in the international Symposium “Faith and Flourishing: Strategies for Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse”, Pope Francis expressed his support and hope for the eradication what he described as “a profound evil.”

The three-day symposium is a landmark event organized by Harvard University in partnership with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and the Catholic University of America.

It kicked-off on April 8th, the day organizers hope will soon become the World Day of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Healing and Justice.

In his message to participants, the Pope expressed his trust that “by bringing together Religious Leaders, Scholars, and experts from various fields in order to share research, clinical and pastoral experiences and best practices, the Symposium will contribute to a greater awareness of the gravity and extent of child sexual abuse and promote more effective cooperation at every level of society in eradicating this profound evil.”

Organizers explain the event is a first-of-a-kind as it stems from the realization that the best way to tackle child sexual abuse prevention and healing is through an active and ongoing synergy between public health care professionals and faith-based leaders and communities.

That’s why scholars, public health and mental health care professionals, child abuse prevention experts, and religious leaders of diverse faith traditions are sharing experience and resources as the best possible way to identify strategies to prevent child sexual abuse and foster healing for survivors of abuse in their communities.

Men and women of different backgrounds and histories have thus been asked to tell their stories, encouraging others to engage with different realities in the firm commitment that all vulnerable people have a right to be protected and that individuals and societies can only benefit from a holistic approach that takes physical, psychological and spiritual needs into due consideration.

Voices from across the spectrum

Introducing the first session was Jennifer Wortham, Dr.PH, the Executive Director for the Initiative on Health, Religion, and Spirituality at Harvard University, who is universally credited with being the motor at the heart of the event.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was the next in line to take to the floor, followed by long-time child protection advocate Queen Silvia of Sweden, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Rev Dr Denis Mukwege and Rev. Keishi Miyamoto.

The Catholic Church’s commitment towards survivors

Bringing the voice of the Catholic Church, Cardinal O’Malley reflected on the moral and legal obligation the Church has to provide protection and care for the people it serves, “especially minors, young people, vulnerable adults.”

“In all religious, civic and social groups, the people we serve rightfully expect that protection,” he said, noting that “In some cases, their trust was betrayed by those who carry the sacred responsibility of caring for their souls.”

“In all circumstances, the betrayal of sexual abuse was a terrible and devastating violation of human dignity,” he said.

In line and in continuation of the commitment made by the Church as it continues in its work and journey to eradicate clerical sexual abuse, the Cardinal reiterated that “within our families and social groups, the sins and crimes of sexual abuse cannot be held in secret and in shame. We must be vigilant in supporting survivors and their loved ones in the journey towards healing. “

Finally, he expressed his desire to “acknowledge and thank all the victim-survivors who continue to come forward to share their stories: It's because of your courage that the protection of children, youth and vulnerable adults and victim-assistance programs are becoming central components in all facets of our lives. But as the program for this symposium makes clear, there is much work yet to be done.”

Child abuse on the rise in a digital world

Queen Sofia of Sweden, founder of the World Childhood Foundation, spoke about how the issue of child sexual abuse has finally been brought to light, noting that when she decided to take action with the Foundation 20 years ago, “child sexual abuse was hardly on the public agenda: it was a problem that no one wanted to speak about and no one wanted to see its victims.

Pointing out that although giant steps been taken in awareness and prevention, “technology and connectivity have added new forms of online abuse” and the pandemic has exacerbated the problem.

She concluded observing that “Silence protects no one but the perpetrator,” and that is why we must break this silence to relieve the child from a burden of shame that was never his or hers to carry.

“Even more importantly we must listen to the children who find the courage to speak up, and trust them,” she said.

The role of faith leaders in building the future

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Rev Dr Denis Mutwege focussed his speech on the role the religious community plays in ensuring the protection of children and ensuring that survivors be given the resources they need to build their lives in the future.

The Congolese Reverend gave a moving account of his personal experience as a physician and obstetrician in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo where rape was widely used as a weapon of war.

He spoke of his work at the Maternity Hospital in the town of Panzi where most patients had been raped by fighters: “most of them were young girls, but there were also elderly women and many children, some of them only a few months old.”

The pain and horror he and his staff witnessed were such, he said that only prayers and the faith of all those involved allowed them to survive and keep going.

“I have witnessed the importance of faith, spirituality and hope in the context of the most devastating violence in the world,” Rev Dr Mutwege said, “And we have realized that physical healing was not enough to help the survivors recover from their wounds.”

Holistic model of care

Dr Mutwege continues to work for healing and peace in his nation on different levels.

“We have developed a four-pillar holistic model of care that combines medical treatment with psychosocial support and access to legal services and activities.”

He is deeply convinced that “Leaders of all faiths have an important role to play in ending rape as a weapon of war and curbing the sexual abuse of children, in particular.”

At the local level, he explained, we work with religious leaders and village leaders to ensure that they understand the aspects of gender equality and the rights of women and children. These leaders, he said, have an important role in educating communities and this also serves to abolish stigma and to break the cycle of violence at a national level.

At the national level he is working with civil society organizations and government entities on a variety of initiatives designed to build support networks for survivors of sexual violence, provide reparations, and help build lasting peace for the nation.

But acknowledging there is still a long way to go to build lasting peace in the DRC, Dr Mutwege said he is advocating at an international level for transitional justice mechanisms to be implemented as recommended by the UN Mapping Report, so perpetrators of past and present crimes are brought to justice.

Rape: a weapon of war in many parts of the world

Unfortunately, Dr Mutwege said, “rape is used as a weapon of war in many parts of the world.”

“Through my advocacy efforts to end this war strategy I have had the opportunity to meet with Muslim, Christian, Jewish survivors. As members of the faith community we have an important role to play and a responsibility to ensure that survivors do not feel shame or stigma for the abuse they have suffered,” he said.

“Rather than being ostracised, these survivors should feel supported and respected. Rather than feeling powerless, they should have the power to change things. Rather than being silenced, they should have the opportunity to break their silence and speak.”

The Symposium

On the Symposium website you are invited to hear the voices of survivors of child sexual abuse and follow upcoming Symposium presentations that include: “Challenges and Opportunities for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse; “Managing Urgent and Emerging Challenges Related to Digital Safety and the Global Pandemic; “The Role of Faith and Faith Leaders in Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse”; “The Importance of Faith Leaders in Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse.”

All presentations can be viewed by the public who is also invited to join discussion following registration. Click here for info.

 Click on the image to view the Prayer Intention video.

Full Text of the Pope's Prayer Intention

Defending fundamental human rights demands courage and determination.
I’m referring to actively combatting poverty, inequality, the lack of work, land and housing, and the denial of social and labor rights.
Often, in practice, fundamental human rights are not equal for all.
There are first-, second-, and third-class people, and those who are disposable.
No. They must be equal for all.
In some places, defending people’s dignity can mean going to prison, even without a trial. Or it might mean slander.Every human being has the right to develop fully, and this fundamental right cannot be denied by any country.
Let us pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis, that they may see their sacrifice and their work bear abundant fruit. 

Resources on the fundamental human right of religious liberty

Cardinal Ayuso's Speech on Religious Liberty

Religious Freedom for the Good of All. Theological approaches and contemporary challenges (2019)  

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

Intervention of the Secretary for Relations with States at the Council of Europe for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man  

Archbishop Gallagher: 

'Nostra aetate' highlights Church’s commitment against anti-Semitism

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, in a video message sent on Thursday, has reiterated the Holy See’s commitment against intolerance towards people of Jewish heritage.

The message from the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States comes as part of a media campaign promoted by the Israeli Embassy to combat anti-Semitism, as the Church this year marks the 55th anniversary of “Nostra Aetate” - the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.

Importance of Nostra Aetate

Archbishop Gallagher highlights that Nostra Aetate is important for two aspects that it highlights: its emphasis on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, and the condemnation of anti-Semitism in every form and species.

Jewish roots of Christian faith

He notes that in speaking of the spiritual patrimony common to both Christians and Jews, the Council recommends a “mutual knowledge and esteem” between them, which is achievable above all, by “biblical and theological studies, as well as fraternal dialogues.”

In this regard, much progress has been made in recent years, the Archbishop affirms. Mutual knowledge has led to a better understanding on theological, social and political levels, including bilateral Agreements by which diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the State of Israel have been established.

The Archbishop further stresses that for the dialogue to be fruitful, it must be both “open and respectful”, as mutual respect “is a condition, and at the same time, the goal of dialogue” – to respect the right of others to life, to physical integrity, to fundamental freedoms, that is, freedom of conscience, of thought, of expression and of religion.

This, he explains, allows us to build together a climate of peace and fraternity, as the Pope encouraged in his recent Encyclical Fratelli tutti.

Church’s condemnation of anti-Semitism

On the second importance of Nostra Aetate, Archbishop Gallagher re-echoes the Declaration’s condemnation of anti-Semitism in all its forms and species “at any time and by everyone.” He stresses that the Church cannot tolerate anti-Semitic acts because of the heritage she shares with Jews, and also because evangelical charity prevents her from doing so.

On this matter, he recalls a correspondence between the Council of Ashkenazi Rabbis of Jerusalem and the Holy See, which he describes as a “small pearl” from the historical archives of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State.

Archbishop Gallagher explains that, in 1919, following targeted acts of intolerance against Jewish communities, the Ashkenazi Rabbinical Council turned to then-Pope Benedict XV, presenting him the situation and asking for his support to put an end to the persecution. He notes that in the reply to the Rabbis’ request sent from the Secretariat of State, the Church was “opposed to acts of hatred against other brothers.”

He further notes that there are other examples of the Church at work against anti-Semitism, especially during WWII when diplomats of the Holy See worked to save the lives of some of our Jewish brothers and sisters.

“Differences of religion cannot allow anyone to do violence against the other,” says Archbishop Gallagher. “And if this is a true principle towards everyone, it is equally true towards the Jews. In fact, this violence is against law and justice.”

Concluding his message, Archbishop Gallagher thanks God for the true transformation that has taken place in relations between Jews and Catholics and re-echoes Pope Francis's words on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration: “Indifference and opposition have changed into cooperation and benevolence. From enemies and strangers, we have become friends and brothers.”

Cardinals, scholars speak on integral disarmament

Integral security must be anchored to “solidarity, justice, integral human development, the respect for fundamental human rights, and the care for creation.”

This call—launched by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin—could sum up the speeches and reflections offered by participants in a webinar held on Tuesday.

Entitled “Advancing integral disarmament in times of pandemic,” the online event advanced the goal of implementing a global ceasefire. It was organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) and the Vatican Covid-19 Commission, in collaboration with the Strategic Concept for the Removal of Arms and Proliferation (SCRAP) of the SOAS University of London.

The initiative was divided into three panels, and saw the participation of high-level Vatican officials and leaders of international organizations.

Confronting global crises

Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the DPIHD, kicked off the event with a call for national leaders to redirect resources toward global problems facing humanity, such as hunger and the loss of livelihoods due to the pandemic.

He said the health and economic crises require a concerted effort by governments, which should take the opportunity to move toward disarmament to free up funds for economic recovery.

Security and solidarity

The keynote address of the first panel was delivered by Cardinal Parolin. The Vatican Secretary of State focused his remarks on the concept of “integral security,” and asked participants to consider what kind of security the world desires and how best to ensure it. He said the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the interconnectedness of all humanity.

As Pope Francis called for at the Plain of Ur in Iraq, the world must pursue an integral security that goes beyond the arms race, the idolatry of money, and consumerism. “It means transforming instruments of hatred into instruments of peace,” said Cardinal Parolin. “It means rejecting the increasing proliferation of arms and accepting the promotion of the common good and the alleviation of poverty.”

Rather than spending money on arms, he said, nations should reallocate those expenditures to investing in “health, social equity, and poverty eradication,” which are better suited for promoting security.

Reiterating the Pope’s appeal for a global ceasefire, Cardinal Parolin said the right to self-defense should be considered as an element of “collective-defense” and “integral security.”

“This means also anchoring security to solidarity, justice, integral human development, the respect for fundamental human rights, and the care for creation,” he noted.

The Cardinal Secretary of State then recalled the Pope’s oft-repeated saying that “we never emerge from a crisis the same as before.” And he urged nations to pursue the path of disarmament by turning competition into cooperation and respecting the priority of personal dignity and promoting human life.

The webinar’s first panel also included an address from Professor Dan Plesch, with the SOAS University of London. He pointed out that redirecting just half of the US$2 trillion the world spends on military expenditure would allow governments to reduce taxes, fund global healthcare, and help reduce carbon emissions. It would also, he noted, get rid of “so many causes of war.”

Development over destruction

The second part of the webinar focused on the role of international law in pursuing integral security.

Panelists included Archbishop Ivan Jurkovi?, the Vatican’s representative at the UN in Geneva, and representatives of international organizations.

The Archbishop thanked the Dicastery for organizing the event in its Rome headquarters, and noted that the true goal of nuclear disarmament is to “promote integral human development.”

Archbishop Jurkovi? added that the Holy See is worried about new arms which engage in “automated killing.” And he expressed the Vatican’s opposition to weapons systems that remove human beings from the decision-making process in war.

More weapons, less healthcare

Several panelists of the second session promoted a concrete proposal called “SCRAP.” The proposal offers a draft text which nations could take as a starting point for negotiations toward a legally-binding agreement for complete disarmament.

Dr. Olamide Samuel, a professor at SOAS, told participants that his team has employed statistical models to uncover a worrying inverse relationship. He said that when governments spend more taxpayer funds on nuclear weapons they also tend to spend less on healthcare and social programs. As Dr. Samuel noted, “We cannot silence the guns while remaining silent about the guns.”

Another panelist, Susi Snyder, focused on the impact of ethical investing on arms production. She said pressure from institutional and activist investors has forced several corporations to abandon their weapon-producing operations. “Together, we can build and sustain the norms that make weapons illegitimate and unacceptable, to eradicate them for good, and to focus on rebuilding from this pandemic to a world with less weapon profiteering,” Ms. Snyder said.

Uniting Christians in a common goal

The third and final session discussed the vital role of religious organizations in promoting disarmament and integral development. The Vatican’s top officials for ecumenism and interreligious dialogue offered their thoughts on the topic.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said ecumenical efforts toward disarmament can help unite Christians in pursuing a common goal.

“Our work for the unity of Christians,” said Cardinal Koch, “is not only for the healing of the Church but also promotes the healing of the world.”

And as Christians work together for the cause of promoting peace, he concluded, “Christian unity is also advanced.”

Listening to cry of the suffering

Cardinal Miguel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, noted that dialogue between religions is essential to disarmament efforts, because “religion touches the heart of humanity.” He added that just structures can only be created when we engage in dialogue and “lay down arms” in our relationships with others.

“As we continue with this important work of proposing strategies to promote disarmament,” concluded Cardinal Ayuso, “may we keep in mind the cries of those children, women, and men affected by wars of all types.”

Peace among peoples

Cardinal Silvano Tomasi, Special Delegate to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, described the work of the Order in promoting peace.

By offering its services to all without discrimination, the Order of Malta helps peoples of various religions to live in peace.

So, Cardinal Tomasi said, solutions to global problems such as war and conflict need to be sought concretely on the ground in dialogue between peoples and communities.

Pope Francis calls for clean drinking water and sanitation for all

Pope Francis called for clean drinking water and sanitation for all on Sunday, remarking on how clean water is something “too many of our brothers and sisters do not have access to.”

Speaking after the Angelus prayer, the Pope looked ahead to the annual observance of World Water Day marked each year on 22 March.

“Tomorrow is World Water Day, which invites us to reflect on the value of this wonderful and irreplaceable gift of God. For us believers ‘sister’ water is not a commodity: it is a universal symbol and a source of life and health," he said.

Highlighting the fact that so many people across the world have little access to water, which is perhaps even polluted, the Pope said: “It is necessary to ensure drinking water and sanitation to all.”

A call to action

The Pope went on to thank and encourage those, who through their different professional capacities and responsibilities “work for this very important purpose.”

He highlighted the example of Argentina’s University Institute for Water and Sanitation, located in The Palace of Water in Buenos Aires which aims to be a significant player in Water and Sanitation education in the country and the region.

“I think of those,” the Pope continued, “who work to carry this work forward” and raise awareness regarding the importance of water: “Thank you very much to you Argentines who work in this Water University!”

World Water Day 2021

World Water Day, which falls on 22 March, celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis. A core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water: “The value of water is about much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, food, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource. SDG 6 is to ensure water and sanitation for all. Without a comprehensive understanding of water’s true, multidimensional value, we will be unable to safeguard this critical resource for the benefit of everyone.”

Nadia Murad: Pope’s Iraq visit ‘a sign of hope for all minorities'

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad grants an interview to Vatican Media about Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Journey to Iraq, saying it sent an important message of hope for minorities in the nation, especially for the Yazidis.

By Alessandro Gisotti

The immense courage of Nadia Murad has become a symbol for the Yazidi people, and for all women who have fallen victim to violence.

In 2014, she was kidnapped by the so-called Islamic State and enslaved for three months in Iraq. The militants were carrying out a brutal campaign to exterminate the minority population.

Despite falling victim to unspeakable violence, Nadia refused to give up, and now she speaks against every form of violence from her adopted home in Germany.

She met Pope Francis in 2018, and gifted him with a signed copy of her autobiography “The Last Girl”. The Pope recently told journalists on the return flight from Iraq that it touched him deeply.

In the following interview with Vatican Media, Nadia Murad speaks about the fruits she hopes to see from the Pope’s visit to Iraq. She also launches a heartfelt appeal to the international community to help free the many Yazidi women who are still in the jihadists’ hands.

Q: The media worldwide have unanimously described Pope Francis' visit to Iraq as historic. In your opinion, what remains in the hearts of the Iraqi people from this journey?

Not only is Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq historic in itself, but it also comes at a historic time for the Iraqi people, as they rebuild from genocide, religious persecution, and decades of conflict. The Pope’s visit shone a light on the potential for peace and religious freedom. It symbolized that all Iraqis – no matter their faith – are equally deserving of dignity and human rights. His Holiness also sent a clear message that restoring the interfaith fabric of Iraqi society must start with support for the healing of minority communities, like the Yazidis, who have been the target of violence and marginalization.

Q: Speaking to reporters on the plane, Pope Francis said that one of the reasons he visited Iraq was after reading your book "The Last Girl." In his first speech, which he addressed to the country's authorities, he recalled the suffering of the Yazidis. How important is it to have the Pope offering this advocacy for you?

During my audience with Pope Francis back in 2018, we had an in-depth discussion about the Yazidi community’s experience of genocide, particularly the violence endured by women and children. I am glad that my story stayed with him and that he felt called to bring this message to Iraq. His advocacy for the Yazidi cause is an example for other religious leaders in the region to amplify the message of tolerance of religious minorities like the Yazidis.

Q: Today you are a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a UN Goodwill Ambassador, and you have founded Nadia's Initiative, an organization to help women victims of violence. Where did you find the strength to turn all the pain you have suffered into this force for good?

All Yazidis have shown great strength in their survival and resilience. The entire community has withstood immense trauma. We will not be able to recover and rebuild our lives on our own. The community is in dire need of support and resources. Nadia’s Initiative is striving to empower the community in their recovery by providing tangible and sustainable support.

Q: ISIS lost the war in 2017 but you remind us that there are still thousands of women, even young girls, in slavery who have not yet been freed. Why can't this tragedy be ended and what should the international community do?

The fact that 2,800 Yazidi women and children remain missing in captivity after nearly seven years exposes the lack of political will to protect women’s basic human rights and safety. It shows that sexual violence and slavery are not taken seriously by the international community. A multilateral task force must be established immediately with the sole purpose of locating and rescuing these women and children.

Q: You have said: "I want to be the last woman on earth with a story like mine." What would you say today to the many women suffering from war and terrible violence?

To them, I say, “It is not your fault.” Global patriarchal systems have been designed to subjugate us, profit from our oppression, and wage war on our bodies. But surviving and fighting for recognition of these injustices is an act of resistance. I would also say, “You are not alone.” Over one-third of women around the globe experience sexual violence. That does not mean we must accept it. There are women in every community who are surviving, standing up, and speaking out. When we unite to fight for our rights, change will be unstoppable.

Cardinal Ayuso: "Human fraternity" includes citizenship rights for all

Pope Francis’s focus on “human fraternity” does not aim simply at promoting tolerance among different religions and ethnic groups but ultimately pushes for a recognition of the full citizenship rights of all minorities, said Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

The pope’s visit to Iraq March 5-8 told the country’s Christian communities that they are “truly part of the life of the universal church” and that within Iraq they should not feel like isolated communities forced to “struggle to survive or flee but are active citizens with the right and obligation to contribute to the development of society,” the cardinal said.

Writing in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, Ayuso said the pope’s visit to Iraq not only encouraged Catholics in their faith, but demonstrated to all Iraqis that the Christian community exists in their country and that it is possible “to live side by side with believers from other religions.”

Pope Francis’s trip is one “destined to enter pages of the history of all religions and humanity itself,” the cardinal wrote in the newspaper’s March 12 edition.

Cardinal Ayuso accompanied Pope Francis throughout his visit and was one of a handful of people who went with the pope March 6 to meet Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of Shiite Islam’s most authoritative leaders.

Throughout his trip, Pope Francis “reaffirmed the principles of equality among all the ethnic, social and religious components of the country,” an equality “founded on citizenship,” the cardinal said. “On this path, he has been accompanied by al-Sistani, who, in a declaration, wanted to affirm his commitment to working so that ‘Christian citizens can live like all Iraqis in peace and security with all their constitutional rights.'”

In some countries, Christians or other minorities are given a “protected minority” status that allows them to survive in the country but does not guarantee equal rights or equal access to education and jobs, for example.

Fraternal coexistence, Ayuso said, “requires the full recognition of citizenship. Full citizenship is a basic element for preserving one’s identity.”

At the root of the idea of “human fraternity” and interreligious dialogue, he said, is: “God is the creator of everything and everyone, so we are members of one family, and we must recognize that.”

Recognizing all people as children of the one God, the cardinal said, moves relationships beyond “mere tolerance to fraternal coexistence, recognizing the diversity that exists among us, neutralizing violence and living as brothers and sisters.”

Furthermore, he said, it calls on members of different religions and, especially, religious leaders to cooperate and collaborate to ensure that everyone enjoys equal rights everywhere.

“We are all members of the one human family and as such we have equal rights and responsibilities as citizens of this world,” Cardinal Ayuso said. “At the basis of our collaboration and dialogue are the common roots of our humanity, so we do not start from scratch in dialogue.”

Obviously, he said, the search for peace is a key component of interreligious dialogue and the promotion of human fraternity.

When members of different religions meet, speak to each other, get to know each other and recognize each other as brothers and sisters, “they make themselves peacemakers wherever they operate,” the cardinal said.

PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE RETURN FLIGHT TO ROME

Matteo Bruni:

Good day, Your Holiness. Good day to all of you. Thank you for this extraordinary journey that touched the history of this country, many places and also the heart of many Iraqis and so many who were able to follow these days, also thanks to the work of our journalist colleagues. Here we also have Msgr Dieudonné Datonou, who worked to bring about this journey … “the new sheriff”! We thank him for his work, realizing that he was able to count on the experience of the Secretary of State’s travel office and also on the experience of so many sectors of the Holy See involved in the organization of the journey. And now, if you wish, a word of greeting and then a few questions from the journalists regarding these days.

Pope Francis:

First of all, thank you for your work and your company … and for your exhaustion!

Today is Women’s Day: my compliments to the women. Women’s day…. We used to say: why is there no celebration of men…? In the meeting with the wife of the President [of the Republic of Iraq], I said: “Because we men are always celebrating!” We need a celebration of women. The President’s wife spoke well of women; she told me beautiful things today: the strength that women have in carrying on life, history, family… so many things.

Then, my congratulations to everyone!

Thirdly, today is the birthday of the COPE journalist, not the other day! Best wishes! We will have to celebrate it…. we will see how…. The floor is now yours.

Matteo Bruni:

The first question, Holy Father, comes precisely from the Arab world, from Imad Atrach, a journalist for Sky News Arabia.

Imad Abdul Karim Atrach (Sky News Arabia):

Your Holiness, two years ago in Abu Dhabi there was the meeting with Imam al-Tayyeb of al-Azhar and the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity. Three days ago you met with Al-Sistani: can something similar be considered with the Shiite sect of Islam? Then a second thing: Lebanon. Saint John Paul II said it is more than a country: it is a message. Sadly, as a Lebanese, I can tell you that this message is disappearing. Can we envisage a future, imminent visit to Lebanon? Thank you.

Pope Francis:

The Abu Dhabi document of 4 February [2019] was prepared with the Grand Imam in secrecy, over six months, praying, reflecting, correcting the text. It was, I will say – it is somewhat presumptuous, take it as a presumption – a first step toward what you are asking me. We could say that this [with Al-Sistani] would be the second. And there will be others. The path of fraternity is important. Then, as to the two documents: that of Abu Dhabi left me with a strong sense of the need for fraternity, and [the Encyclical] Fratelli Tutti resulted. Both documents should be studied because they go in the same direction, they seek … fraternity. Ayatollah Al-Sistani said something that I am trying to remember properly: men are either brothers through religion or equal through creation. Fraternity is equality, but equality is the bottom line. I think that it is also a cultural process. We Christians can think of the Thirty Years War, about the Eve of Saint Bartholomew, for example. We think of this, and how our mentality has changed. Because our faith makes us realize that this is what the revelation of Jesus is, love and charity lead us to this. But how many centuries it took to accomplish it!

This is something important, human fraternity – how as men and women we are all brothers and sisters – and we need to make progress with the other religions. The Second Vatican Council took a major step with this; then the institutions, the Council for Christian Unity and the Council for Interreligious Dialogue; hence Cardinal Ayuso is with us today. You are human; you are a child of God; you are my brother or sister, full stop. This would be the biggest step to take and frequently we have to risk taking it. You know that there are criticisms in this regard: that the Pope is not courageous; he is reckless, acting against Catholic doctrine, that he is one step from heresy…. There are risks. But these decisions are always made in prayer, in dialogue, asking advice, in reflection. They are not a whim, and they follow in the line of what the Council taught. This is my answer to your first question.

The second: Lebanon is a message. Lebanon is suffering. Lebanon is about more than maintaining an equilibrium. It has the weakness of differences, some of which are still not reconciled.  But it has the strength of great reconciled people, like the strength of cedars. Patriarch Raï had asked me to make a stop in Beirut on this journey, but it seemed too little to me. A crumb in the face of a problem, a country that suffers as Lebanon does. I wrote him a letter. I promised to make a journey. But at this time Lebanon is in crisis, but in crisis – here I wish not to offend – in a crisis of life. Lebanon is very generous, in welcoming refugees…. This is a second journey.

Matteo Bruni:

Thank you, Your Holiness. The second question comes from Johannes Neudecker, from the German news agency, DPA:

Johannes Claus Neudecker (German news agency, DPA):

Thank you, Holy Father. My question is also on the meeting with Al-Sistani. To what extent was the meeting with Al-Sistani also a message to Iran’s religious leaders?

Pope Francis:

I think it was a universal message. I felt the duty, on this pilgrimage of faith and penance, to go to find a great and wise man, a man of God. And we see this just by listening to him. As for messages, I would say: the message is for everyone; it is a message for everyone. He is a person who has that wisdom… and also prudence. He said to me: “For ten years” – I think he said it this way – “I have not received people who come to visit me with other aims, political and cultural, no. Only religious”. And he was very respectful, very respectful in the meeting, and I felt honored. Even in his greeting: he never stands up, and he stood up, to greet me, twice. He is a humble and wise man. This meeting did me good. It is a light. These wise men are everywhere, because the wisdom of God has been spread throughout the world. The same thing is true with the saints, not only those who are canonized, but the everyday saints, those whom I call “the saints next door”, saints – both men and women – who live their faith, whatever it may be, with consistency, who live human values with consistency, fraternity with consistency. I think we have to discover these people, to make them known, because there are so many of them… When there are scandals, also in the Church, so many of them and this does not help…. Then let us make known all those people who are seeking the path of fraternity, the saints next door; we will find members of our family, certainly: some grandfathers, some grandmothers…. Certainly!

Matteo Bruni:

The third question comes precisely from Eva Maria Fernández Huescar, from COPE, to whom we offer our best wishes again.

Eva Maria Fernández Huescar (Cadena Cope 31H):

Holy Father, how wonderful to resume press conferences! It is so beautiful!

These days, your journey in Iraq has had enormous repercussions throughout the world. Do you think this might be the journey of your Pontificate? It has also been said that it was the riskiest.  Were you afraid, at some point of the journey? And now that we have resumed the journeys and you are about to complete the eighth year of your Pontificate, are you still thinking that it will be short? And then, the big longstanding question, Holy Father, the big question: will you ever return to Argentina? And while we are on the topic, because I am Spanish: will there ever come a day in which the Pope will go to Spain? Thank you, Holy Father!

Pope Francis:

Thank you, Eva. I made you celebrate your birthday twice: one in advance, and another late!

I will start with the last one, which is an understandable question… because that book written by my journalist friend, Nelson Castro, a physician. He had written a book on the illnesses of presidents and I once told him [when I was] already in Rome: you should write one about the illnesses of Popes, because it would be interesting to know about the illness of Popes, at least some of recent times. He began to do it; he interviewed me; the book has been published. They tell me it is good; I have not seen it. He asked me a question: “If you resign – if I die or if I resign – if you resign, will you return to Argentina or will you stay here?” – “I will not return to Argentina” – I said – “but will remain here, in my diocese”. But about the question of whether I will go to Argentina or why I don’t go there – I always answer a bit ironically: I spent 76 years in Argentina, that’s enough, isn’t it?

But there is another thing that, for a reason I don’t understand, is never said: a trip to Argentina had been planned in November of 2017. The preparations had begun: [plans were being made for] Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. But at that time – it would have been for the end of November –Chile was in the midst of election campaigns; in those days, in December, Michelle Bachelet’s successor was elected, and I would have had to go before the government changed; I could not go afterwards. But to go to Chile in January and then in January to Argentina and Uruguay was not possible, because January is like our August, July—August, for those two countries. Thinking the matter over, the suggestion was made: why not go to Peru? Because Peru had been passed over in my journey to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay; it had not been included. Hence the idea of a January trip to Chile and Peru. I want to say this, to put a stop to the fantasies of “patriaphobia”. When the opportunity arises, we will have to do so, because there is Argentina, Uruguay and the south of Brazil, which is a great cultural mix.

Moreover, about the journeys: to make a decision about the journeys, I listen; there are many invitations. I listen to the recommendations of my advisors, but also of the people. Sometimes someone will come and I ask, What do you think, should I go to that place? It is good for me to listen, this helps me make decisions later on. I listen to advisors and in the end I pray, I pray, I reflect a lot; I reflected a great deal on some journeys. And then the decision comes from within: do it! Almost spontaneously, but like a fruit that has ripened. It is a long process. Some journeys are more difficult, others are easier.

My decision about this journey came early on: the first invitation came from the previous Iraqi Ambassador, who was a pediatric physician: she was good; she didn’t give up. Then the Ambassador to Italy came; she is a fighter. Then the new Ambassador to the to the Vatican came, and he fought [for the journey]. Earlier, the President had come. All these things had remained within. But there was something before too, that I would like to mention. One of you gave me the Spanish edition of The Last Girl [by Nadia Mourad]. I read it in Italian. Then she gave it to Elisabetta Piqué to read. Have you read it? More or less…. It is the story of the Yazidi. And in it Nadia Mourad describes something terrifying, terrifying. I recommend you read it. At certain points, since it is biographical, it might seem rather depressing, but for me this was the real reason behind my decision. That book affected me…. And when I heard Nadia, who came here to tell me about things…. Terrible! Then, with the book, all these things together, led to the decision, thinking about all of them, all those problems,… In the end, the decision came and I made it.

Then too, in the eighth year of the Pontificate, I don’t know if the journeys will slacken or not; I will only confess that on this trip I was more tired than on the others. Being 84 takes its toll! It has its effects…. But we shall see. Next [in September] I will go to Hungary for the final Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress. It is not a visit to the country, but for that Mass. But Budapest is a two-hour drive from Bratislava: why not pay a visit to the Slovaks? I don’t know…. And so things begin….

Aaron Patrick Harlan (The Washington Post):

Thank you, Holy Father! This journey obviously had an extraordinary significance for the people who were able to see you, but it involved events that created conditions for the spread of the virus, in particular with regard to unvaccinated people, crowded together, while they were singing. When you considered the trip and what it would entail, were you also worried about the fact that the people who would come to see you could have become sick or even die? Could you explain to us your reflections and your preparations?

Pope Francis:

As I said recently, the journeys “brew up” over time in my conscience, and this is one of the things that I was very concerned about... I thought a great deal, I prayed a lot about this and in the end I made the decision, freely, it came from within. And I said: Let the One who helps me to decide care for the people. And so I made the decision, that way, but after prayer and with an awareness of the risks. All things considered

Matteo Bruni:

Thank you. The next question comes from Philippine De Saint Pierre, M.C. KTO.

Philippine de Saint Pierre (M.C. KTO):

Your Holiness, we saw the courage, the enthusiasm of Iraqi Christians; we also saw the challenges that they have to face, the threat of Islamist violence, the exodus and the [challenge of bearing]witness to their faith in their surroundings. These are the challenges of Christians in the entire region. We spoke of Lebanon, but also Syria, the Holy Land…. Ten years ago a Synod for the Middle East was held, but its development was interrupted by the attack on the Cathedral in Baghdad. Do you think about doing something for the entire Middle East, a regional synod or some other initiative?

Pope Francis:

I am not considering a Synod. Initiatives, yes, I am open to many. But a Synod did not come to me. You have sown the first seed. Let us see. Let us see what happens.

The life of Christians in Iraq is one of hardship, but not only the life of Christians…. I just spoke of the Yazidi…, and other religions that did not submit to the power of Daesh. And this, I don’t know why, but this gave them great strength. There is the problem that you mention, of migration. Yesterday as I returned by car from Qaraqosh to Erbil, [there were] many people, young people, the age is very low. So many young people. Someone asked me: what is the future for these young people? Where will they go? Many will have to leave the country, many. Before departing for the journey, the other day, Friday, 12 Iraqi refugees came to greet me: one had a leg prosthesis because he had fled, under a truck and had had an accident…. So very many have fled. Migration involves a twofold right: the right not to migrate and the right to migrate. These people have neither of the two, because they cannot not migrate; they do not know how to do so. And they cannot migrate because the world has not yet realized that migration is a human right.

An Italian sociologist told me, with reference to Italy’s demographic winter: “Within 40 years we will have to ‘import’ foreigners to work and pay the taxes for our retirement benefits”. You French people have been more clever; you have gone ahead by 10 years with the law in support of the family; your growth level is very large. But migration is seen as an invasion. Yesterday I wanted – because he requested it – to receive, after the Mass, the father of Alan Kurdi, that little boy…. He is a symbol; Alan Kurdi is a symbol. This is why I donated the sculpture to FAO. He is a symbol that speaks of more than simply a child who died in migration: he is a symbol of dead civilizations, of dying civilizations, that cannot survive, a symbol of humanity. Urgent measures are needed to enable people to find work in their own country and not have to migrate. And measures to safeguard the right of migration. It is true that every country should carefully examine its capacity to receive them. Because it is not just about receiving them and then leaving them on the beach; it is about accepting them, supporting them, helping them to advance and integrating them. The integration of migrants is key.

Two anecdotes: in Zaventem, Belgium, the terrorists were Belgian, born in Belgium but Islamic immigrants, ghettoized, not integrated. The other example, when I went to Sweden, the Minister bid me farewell: she was very young and had a distinctive appearance, not typical of Swedes. She was the daughter of a migrant father and a Swedish mother: so well integrated that she became minister! Let us look at these two things; they will make us think. Integration. As for migration, which I believe is the tragedy of the region, I would also like to thank the countries that have been generous, the countries that welcome migrants: Lebanon, Lebanon has been generous to migrants, two million Syrians there, I believe… [a million and a half Syrians, plus 400,000 Palestinians]; Jordan – unfortunately we will not be flying over Jordan – the King is so kind, King Abdulla, he wanted to pay us tribute with airplanes as we passed, I thank him now; Jordan is extremely generous: more than a million and a half migrants. And so many other countries, to mention only two. Thanks to these generous countries! Thank you, thank you so much!

Matteo Bruni:

Thank you, Your Holiness. The next question is in Italian, from journalist Stefania Falasca, of Avvenire.

Stefania Falasca (Avvenire):

In just three days in this country, which is a key country of the Middle East, you have done what world leaders have been talking about for thirty years. You already explained the interesting way your travels have come about, how decisions are made for your journeys, but now, as things stand, and thinking also of the Middle East, could you also consider a journey to Syria? What might be, over the next year, some other places in which your presence is requested?

Pope Francis:

Regarding the Middle East, the only hypothesis, and also the promise, is Lebanon. I have not thought about a journey to Syria; I have not thought about it because the inspiration has not come to me. But I am very close to Syria, war-torn and beloved, as I call it. I remember at the beginning of my Pontificate the afternoon of prayer we celebrated in Saint Peter’s Square, there was the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and we prayed the Rosary… But there were also many Muslims, many Muslims with their rugs, who prayed with us for peace in Syria, to stop the bombing, when there was talk of imminent heaving bombing. I carry Syria in my heart. But as far as a journey is concerned, it has not come to my mind at this time. Thank you.

Matteo Bruni:

The next question comes from Sylwia Wysocka, PAP – Polish Press Agency.

Sylwia Wysocka (PAP - Polska Agencja Prasowa):

Your Holiness, over these twelve very difficult months your own activity has been very limited. Yesterday you had the first direct and very close contact with people in Qaraqosh. How did it feel? My first question. Now, the second. In your opinion, now, given the overall health situation, can the General Audiences resume with people, the faithful, present as they were before?

Pope Francis:

I do feel different when I am away from people in the audiences. I would like to resume the General Audiences as soon as possible. Let us hope that the [right] conditions will permit it; I follow the rules of the authorities on this matter. They are in charge and they have God’s grace to help us with this. Those in charge provide the rules. Whether we like it or not, they are in charge and they have to do so. I have now resumed the Angelus in the Square; with distancing it can be done. There is a proposal for small General Audiences, but I have not decided until it become clear how the situation will develop. But after these months of ‘imprisonment’, because I really felt somewhat imprisoned, for me, this is to live again. To live again because it means touching the Church; touching the holy People of God; touching all peoples. A priest becomes a priest to serve, to be at the service of the People of God, not for careerism, not for money. This morning at Mass there was the [reading of the] healing of Naaman the Syrian, and it said that Naaman wanted to offer gifts after being healed, but the Prophet Elisha refused. The Bible goes on to say: and the servant of the Prophet Elisha, then, when they had left, accommodated the Prophet and ran after Naaman and asked him for the gifts. And God said: “the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you” (cf. 2 Kings 5:1—27).

I am afraid that we, men and women of the Church, especially that we priests, do not have this freely given closeness to the People of God, which is what saves us, and we do as Elisha’s servant did: help them, yes, but then ask for something…. I am afraid of that leprosy. And the only thing that saves us from the leprosy of greed, of pride is the holy People of God. What God said to David: “I took you from the flock; do not forget the flock”. What Paul said to Timothy: “Remember your mother and your grandmother who ‘nursed’ your faith”. In other words, do not lose your closeness to the People of God and become a privileged caste of consecrated people, clerics, any such thing. Contact with the people saves us, helps us; we give the people the Eucharist, preaching, that is our role. But they give us closeness. Let us not forget this affinity with the holy People of God.

You began by asking: what did I encounter in Iraq, in Qaraqosh…? I had not imagined the ruins of Mosul, of Qaraqosh; I had not imagined, truly…. Yes, I had seen pictures, I had read the book, but I was struck, it was striking. And then, what touched me the most is the testimony of a mother in Qaraqosh. The testimony was given by a priest who truly knows poverty, service and penance, and by a woman who lost her son in the first Daesh bombings. She said one word: forgiveness. I was moved. A mother who says: I forgive and I ask forgiveness for them. I was reminded of my journey to Colombia, of that encounter at Villavicencio, where so many people, women especially, mothers and wives, recounted their experience of the murder of their sons and their husbands and said: “I forgive”. But we have forgotten this word; we are experts at insulting; we are great at condemning, myself before anyone; we know this well. But to forgive! To forgive enemies: this is pure Gospel. That is what struck me most in Qaraqosh.

Matteo Bruni:

The last question is from Catherine Laurence Marciano, AFP:

Catherine Laurence Marciano (AFP):

Your Holiness, I wanted to know how you felt in the helicopter when you saw the city of Mosul destroyed and then prayed at the ruins of a church. If I may, seeing it is Women’s Day, I also wanted to ask a small question about women. You supported the women in Qaraqosh with really beautiful words, but what do you think about the fact that a Muslim woman in love cannot marry a Christian man without being repudiated by her family or even worse? The first question was about Mosul. Thank you, Your Holiness.

Pope Francis:

Regarding Mosul I mentioned somewhat en passant what I felt when I halted before the ruined church. I was speechless. It is unbelievable, unbelievable…. Not only this church but also the other churches, even a mosque destroyed. Evidently it was not in agreement with the people…. Our human cruelty is unbelievable. In this moment, I do not want to say the word, it is starting over again. Let us look at Africa! And with our experience in Mosul, these destroyed churches and everything, it creates hostility, war, and the so-called Islamic State is starting to act again. This is a terrible thing, really terrible.

Before moving on to the other question. A question that came to mind in the church was this: Who is selling weapons to these agents of destruction? Because they do not make the weapons at home. Yes, they may make some devices…. But who sells the weapons? Who is responsible? I would at least ask those who sell weapons to have the candour to say: We sell weapons. They do not say it. It is terrible.

Women. Women are more courageous than men, this is true; that is how I feel. But today too women are being demeaned. We go to that extreme: One of you, I don’t know who, you showed me a price list for women…. I could not believe it: if the woman looks this way, she costs this much, it costs… to sell them. Women are being sold; women are being enslaved. Even in the centre of Rome. The fight against trafficking is a daily job. In the Jubilee [of Mercy] I paid a visit to one of the many houses of the Opera di Don Benzi: girls who had been rescued, one with her ear cut because she had not brought in the right [amount of] money, that day; another one, brought from Bratislava in the trunk of a car, a slave, kidnapped. This happens among us, the “civilized”, human trafficking. In these countries, especially in part of Africa, there is mutilation; there is mutilation as a rite that has to be performed. But women are still slaves and we have to fight, fight for the dignity of women. They are the ones who carry history forward; this is no exaggeration: women carry history forward. And that is not just a compliment for today, Women’s Day; it is true. Slavery is like this, the rejection of women…. Think that in a certain place there was a debate about whether the divorce of a wife must be written or just verbal. Not even the right to the deed of divorce! This happens today. But so as not to distance ourselves, let us think of the centre of Rome, of the girls who have been kidnapped and are being exploited. I think I have said enough about this.

Matteo Bruni:

Thank you, Holy Father.

Pope Francis:

I wish you a good end to the journey and I ask you to pray for me, since I need it! Thank you!

Cardinal Ayuso interviewed on Iraq trip

Elise Ann Allen, CruxNow News

Pope Francis’s recent meeting with Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husaymi al-Sistani while in Iraq earlier this month has been praised by a top papal aide as a further advancement of Catholic-Muslim relations, and a significant step forward for dialogue between the Catholic Church and Shia Islam.

Speaking to Crux, Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso said the “truly important” meeting between Pope Francis and al-Sistani “contributed to the building of this fraternity among Christians and Muslims.”

“For what concerns the relationship between Christianity and Shia Islam, the Najaf meeting is a further step forward for the dialogue of respect and friendship with the Shia community both in Iran and in Iraq,” where both the local Church and the Vatican have long been active, he said.

Head of the Vatican Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Ayuso was part of the pope’s delegation during his historic March 5-8 trip to Iraq, which marked the first time a pope had set foot in the country.

During his visit, Francis made stops in Baghdad, Erbil, Qaraqosh, Mosul, the Plain of Ur, which is traditionally recognized as the birthplace of the biblical figure of Abraham, and Najaf, where he had a lengthy private meeting with al-Sistani, who is widely recognized as Shia Islam’s most influential leader.

In his interview with Crux, Ayuso reflected on the significance of the papal visit to Iraq, both from a personal and diplomatic point of view.

He praised Iraq’s unique blend of religions, cultures, and ethnicities, insisting on the need to strengthen interfaith ties if Iraq, and the Middle East generally, is ever going to achieve peace.

“We are aware of the need to move from mere tolerance to fraternal coexistence,” he said, stressing that this process requires “the full recognition of citizenship” for minorities who are often treated as second-class citizens.

“I hope that all Iraqis who have gathered together around the Holy Father will testify to human fraternity and the importance of interreligious dialogue,” he said.

Please read below for excerpts of Crux’s interview with Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso:

Crux: This trip held monumental significance on a variety of levels. From your perspective as a member of the pontifical delegation, what would you say was the most significant aspect of this visit?

Ayuso: The entire trip to Iraq was significant. Every moment was marked by gestures and words that leave a mark. Pope Francis went to Iraq as a pastor to tell Iraqis: ‘you are all brothers.’ The difficult situation in which that country finds itself made Pope Francis’s initiative very special. We all know that it is a country which today is still not pacified, and which must still recover from decades of war, violence, and destruction.

There is no doubt that I was privileged to have personally participated in the apostolic journey to Iraq, an event that many have defined ‘historic.’ I think that, without any rhetoric, it can be said that Pope Francis’s visit was another milestone in the path of interreligious dialogue.

As a Christian I suffered in seeing with my own eyes the devastation of that country. Everything still speaks of war and of the violence suffered not only by Christians. Participating in the eucharistic celebrations and in the various moments of prayer, I touched with my hand the strength and courage that sustain the Catholic community and the joy and gratitude towards Pope Francis.

Dialogue with Islam was obviously an emblematic aspect of this trip. In your view, what was the significance of the pope’s meeting with Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani, and what impact could it have on relations between Christianity and Shia Islam? Could it help alleviate interreligious tensions in Iraq?

The courtesy visit to Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husaymi al-Sistani, one of the most symbolic and significant personalities in the Shiite world, was truly important and contributed to the building of this fraternity among Christians and Muslims. Al-Sistani, who has always spoken out in favor of peaceful coexistence inside of Iraq, said that all ethnic groups, religious groups, are part of the country and the Holy Father thanked him for this. Pope Francis said (during the press conference on his return flight): ‘I felt the duty to make this pilgrimage of faith and penance, and to go find a great, wise man, a man of God.’

For what concerns the relationship between Christianity and Shia Islam, the Najaf meeting is a further step forward for the dialogue of respect and friendship with the Shia community both in Iran and in Iraq, in which both the local Church and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, which I preside over, have been involved in for years.

The meeting in Ur, the city from which the patriarch Abraham left, was an opportunity to pray together with believers from other religious traditions, in particular Muslims, in order to rediscover the reasons for coexistence between brothers, so as to rebuild a social fabric beyond factions and ethnicities, and to send a message to the Middle East and to the entire world.

Also, on the Plain of Ur Pope Francis did not speak of a theoretical brotherhood but asked that everyone commit themselves ‘so that God’s dream may come true: that the human family may become hospitable and welcoming toward all of its children, who, looking at the same sky, walk in peace on the same earth.’

The path to take is that of human fraternity. In my opinion, the relationship between interreligious dialogue, human fraternity, and the prospect of peace is practically unavoidable and has become so close that we cannot even imagine these realities separate; that of religions that meet, speak to each other, know each other, recognize each other in a journey of common fraternity. This places each one of them as builders of peace wherever they find themselves working; that peace which needs now more than in the past that the Catholic Church and other religions act together to prevent, and eliminate, anything that can lead to divisions and conflicts.

During the visit to Mosul, Pope Francis said the exodus of Christians from the Middle East does ‘incalculable damage.’ What are some of the consequences of this Christian exodus? What would it mean not only for Iraq, but for the whole Middle East, if this exodus were to continue?

Pope Francis went to Iraq with the solicitude of the pastor who wishes to meet his people, not to defend the Christian community but to encourage them. The visit of the Holy Father was truly a very favorable occasion so that, even if they are a minority in this land, Christians do not feel marginalized, but actually part of the life of the whole universal Church and that they no longer feel like a closed minority fighting for survival or fleeing, but active citizens who have the right and duty to contribute to the development of society.

The Holy Father’s presence on Iraqi land not only encouraged the Catholic community but it also showed the real presence of Christians and the possibility of living side by side with believers of other religions. Pope Francis reaffirmed the principles of equality between all of the social, religious, and ethnic components of the country based on citizenship (in his speech to the diplomatic corps). On the same occasion the President of the Republic of Iraq, Mr. Barham Ahmed Salih Qassim, expressed his commitment to guaranteeing that Iraq becomes a place of harmony and not a place of conflict and rivalry.

We know that the Middle East cannot be understood without Christians, but it is also not possible without interreligious dialogue. I hope that all Iraqis who have gathered together around the Holy Father will testify to human fraternity and the importance of interreligious dialogue.

Iraq is an extremely diverse place with a complicated history where conflict between different religious and ethnic groups is normal. Yet surrounding the pope’s visit, we have seen different steps being taken by the Iraqi government to promote interreligious relations. (I’m thinking specifically of the declaration of Christmas as a national annual holiday and the ratification of the Yazidi survivor law). In your view, is Iraq ready to become a place of interreligious tolerance? If so, what impact could this have on the region?

Iraq, which is without doubt the richest Arab country from an ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic point of view, constitutes a beautiful mosaic to be carefully reassembled and guarded with care. Legitimate diversities, also from the religious point of view, are a wealth and should not be perceived as a threat.

We are aware of the need to move from mere tolerance to fraternal coexistence, which requires the full recognition of citizenship. Full citizenship is a fundamental element in preserving identity. Pope Francis said: ‘It is essential in this sense to ensure the participation of all political, social, and religious groups and to guarantee the fundamental rights as citizens. No one is considered a second-class citizen.’

I remember that at the of the meeting between Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced in a tweet that March 6 will become a ‘National Day of Tolerance and Coexistence.’

In Iraq, and in the Middle East in general, it is important to regain awareness of the fact that we are citizens and believers and, as such, we must build society by enriching it with the values of our respective religious traditions, passing from respectful diversity to a communion of shared values. Starting from these, we can recreate that coexistence which is not tolerance but the ability to live in diversity.

God is the creator of everything and everyone, therefore we are members of one family, and we must recognize ourselves as such. This is the fundamental criteria that faith offers us to pass from mere tolerance to fraternal coexistence, to interpret the differences that exist among us, to defuse violence, and to live as brothers.

Pope Francis and Islam: three cornerstones of a magisterium

by Andrea Tornielli, Vatican News

There is a common thread linking three important interventions of Pope Francis regarding interreligious dialogue, and Islam in particular.

It is a magisterium that indicates a road map with three fundamental points of reference: the role of religion in our societies, the criterion of authentic religiosity, and the concrete way to walk as brothers and sisters to build peace. We find them in the speeches that the Pope gave in Azerbaijan in 2016; in Egypt in 2017; and now during his historic trip to Iraq, in the unforgettable meeting in Ur of the Chaldeans, the city of Abraham.

The interlocutors of the first speech were the Azerbaijani Shiites, but also the other religious communities of the country. The second speech was mainly addressed to the Egyptian Sunni Muslims. Finally, the third was addressed to a wider interreligious audience made of a Muslim majority, yet including not only Christians but also representatives of the ancient Mesopotamian religions.

What Pope Francis is proposing and implementing is not an approach that forgets differences and identities in order to equalize all. Instead, it is a call to be faithful to one's own religious identity in order to reject any instrumentalization of religion to foment hatred, division, terrorism, discrimination, and at the same time, to witness in increasingly secularized societies that we need God.

In Baku, before the Sheikh of the Muslims of the Caucasus and representatives of other religious communities in the country, Pope Francis recalled the “great task” of religions: that of "accompanying men and women looking for the meaning of life, helping them to understand that the limited capacities of the human being and the goods of this world must never become absolutes.”

In Cairo, speaking at the International Conference for Peace promoted by the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Al Tayyeb, Pope Francis said that Mount Sinai "reminds us above all that authentic covenants on earth cannot ignore heaven, that human beings cannot attempt to encounter one another in peace by eliminating God from the horizon, nor can they climb the mountain to appropriate God for themselves.” It was a very timely message in the face of what the Pope called a “dangerous paradox,” namely, on the one hand, the tendency to relegate religion only to the private sphere, "as if it were not an essential dimension of the human person and society"; and on the other, the inappropriate confusion between the religious and political spheres.

In Ur, on Saturday, March 6, Francis recalled that if man “excludes God, he ends up worshipping the things of this earth,” inviting him to raise "his eyes to Heaven" and defining as “true religiosity,” that which worships God and loves one's neighbor. In Cairo, the Pope explained that religious leaders are called “to unmask the violence that masquerades as purported sanctity and is based more on the 'absolutizing' of selfishness than on authentic openness to the Absolute” and to “denounce violations of human dignity and human rights, to expose attempts to justify every form of hatred in the name of religion, and to condemn these attempts as idolatrous caricatures of God.”

In Baku, the Pope had highlighted as the task of religions that of helping “to discern the good and put it into practice through deeds, prayer and diligent cultivation of the inner life, they are called to build a culture of encounter and peace, based on patience, understanding, and humble, tangible steps.” In a time of conflict, religions - the Pope said in Azerbaijan - "must be dawns of peace, seeds of rebirth amid the devastation of death, echoes of dialogue resounding unceasingly, paths to encounter and reconciliation reaching even those places where official mediation efforts seem not to have borne fruit.”

In Egypt, he had explained that "no incitement to violence will guarantee peace” and that “In order to prevent conflicts and build peace, it is essential that we spare no effort in eliminating situations of poverty and exploitation where extremism more easily takes root.” These words were also echoed in Ur's speech: "There will be no peace without sharing and acceptance, without a justice that ensures equity and advancement for all, beginning with those most vulnerable. There will be no peace unless peoples extend a hand to other peoples.”

The three papal interventions thus indicate the role that religiosity has today in a world where consumerism and rejection of the sacred prevail, and where there is a tendency to relegate faith to the private sphere. But there is a need, Pope Francis explains, for an authentic religiosity, one that never separates adoration of God from love for our brothers and sisters.

Finally, the Pope indicates a way for religions to contribute to the good of our societies, recalling the need for a commitment to the cause of peace, and to respond to the problems and concrete needs of the least, the poor, the defenseless. It is the proposal to walk side by side, "all brothers", in order to be concrete artisans of peace and justice, beyond differences and respecting respective identities.

An example of this path was cited by Pope Francis when he recalled the help offered by young Muslims to their Christian brothers in defending the churches in Baghdad. Another example was offered by the testimony in Ur of Rafah Hussein Baher, an Iraqi woman of the Sabean-Mandean religion, who, in her testimony, wanted to recall the sacrifice of Najay, a man of Sabean-Mandean religion from Basra, who lost his life to save that of his Muslim neighbor.

Pope: "Charity, love and fraternity are the way forward"

Charity, love and fraternity are the way forward. This was said by the Pope in conversation with journalists on the flight from Baghdad back to Rome, after the historic four-day trip to Iraq. Francis recounted his impressions of his meeting with Al Sistani, his emotion before the destroyed churches in Mosul and told of his promise to Patriarch Bechara Rai to undertake a trip to Lebanon. At the beginning of the meeting at high altitude, the Pontiff greeted Monsignor Dieunonné Datonou, the new coordinator of papal travels, whom he called "the new sheriff". Then he addressed the journalists as follows: "First of all, thank you for your work, your company, and your tiredness. Today is Women's Day, congratulations to women! In the meeting with the wife of the President of Iraq they were talking about why there is no men's day. I said: because we men are always celebrating! The President's wife talked to me about women, she said beautiful things today, about the strength that women have in carrying forward life, history, family, so many things. And thirdly: yesterday was the birthday of the Cope journalist: best wishes, we must celebrate, we'll see how, here we can."

Your Holiness, two years ago in Abu Dhabi you had a meeting with Imam Al Tayyeb of Al Azhar with the signing of the Declaration on Human Fraternity. Three days ago you met with Al Sistani: is it possible to think of something similar with the Shiite side of Islam? And then a second question about Lebanon: Saint John Paul II said more than a country it is a message. Today, unfortunately, as a Lebanese, I can tell you that this message is disappearing. Is your visit to Lebanon imminent?

The Abu Dhabi document of 4 February was prepared with the Grand Imam in secret, during six months, praying, reflecting and correcting the text. It was - it's a bit presumptuous to say it, take it as a presumption - a first step of what you are asking about. We can say that this would be the second and there will be others. The path of fraternity is important. The Abu Dhabi document left in me the restlessness of fraternity, and then "Fratelli tutti" came out. Both documents should be studied because they go in the same direction, on the path of fraternity. Ayatollah Al Sistani has a phrase that I try to remember well: men are either brothers by religion or equal by creation. In fraternity is equality, but beneath equality we cannot go. I think it is also a cultural journey. Let's think about us Christians, the Thirty Years' War, the night of St. Bartholomew, to give an example. How the mentality changes among us: because our faith makes us discover that this is it, the revelation of Jesus is love and charity and leads us to this: but how many centuries has it taken to implement them! This is important, human fraternity, that as men we are all brothers, and we must move forward with other religions. The Second Vatican Council took a big step in this, and also the institutions after, the Council for Christian Unity and the Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Cardinal Ayuso accompanies us today. You are human, you are a child of God and you are my brother, period! This would be the greatest indication, and so many times you have to risk to take this step. You know that there are some criticisms: that the pope is not courageous, he is an reckless person who is taking steps against Catholic doctrine, that he is one step away from heresy, there are risks. But these decisions are always made in prayer, in dialogue, in asking for advice, in reflection. They are not a whim and also are the line that the Council taught. I come to the second question: Lebanon is a message, Lebanon suffers, Lebanon is more than a balance, it has the weakness of diversities, some still not reconciled, but it has the strength  of the great reconciled people, like the strength of cedars. Patriarch Rai asked me please during this trip to make a stop in Beirut, but it seemed a bit of a crumb.... A crumb before the problems of a country that suffers like Lebanon. I wrote him a letter, I made a promise to make a trip. But Lebanon at this moment is in crisis, but in crisis - I do not want to offend - in crisis of life. Lebanon is so generous in welcoming refugees.

To what extent was the meeting with Al Sistani also a message toward the religious leaders of Iran?

I believe that it was a universal message I felt the duty to make this pilgrimage of faith and penance, and to go and see a great, a wise man, a man of God: only by listening to him do you perceive this. Speaking of messages, I would say that it is a message for everyone, and he is a person who has that wisdom and also prudence. He told me: "For 10 years I have not received people who come to visit me with other political and cultural purposes... only religious ones. And he was very respectful, very respectful in the meeting. I felt honored. Even at the time of greeting, he never gets up... He got up to greet me, twice, a humble and wise man, it did good to my soul this meeting. He is a beacon of light, and these wise men are everywhere because God's wisdom has been scattered all over the world. It is the same with the saints who are not just those on the altars. It happens every day, those I call the the saints next door, men and women who live their faith, whatever it may be, with consistency. Those who live human values with consistency, fraternity with consistency. I think we should discover these people, highlight them, because there are so many examples... When there are scandals even in the Church, so many, and this does not help, but let's show the people who seek the path of fraternity, the saints next door, and we will surely find people from our family, some grandfather, some grandmother.

Your trip had a huge repercussion around the world, do you think it could be "the trip" of the pontificate? It was also said to be the riskiest. Were you afraid at any point during your trip? You are about to complete the eighth year of your pontificate, do you still think it will be short? Finally, the big question: will you return to Argentina?

I’ll start with the last question... that I understand and is related to the book of my journalist friend Nelson Castro, a doctor. He had written a book on the illnesses of the presidents and I once said to him: if you come to Rome, you have to write one on the illness of the Popes, because it will be interesting to know about their illnesses, at least of some of the recent ones. He did an interview with me, and it came out in a book: they tell me it's good, I haven't seen it. He asked me a question, "If you resign will you go back to Argentina or will you stay here?" I said: I will not go back to Argentina, but I will stay here in my diocese. But in that hypothesis, the answer is combined with the question. When will I go to Argentina or why I don't I go there... I always answer a little ironically: I've been 76 years in Argentina, is that enough, no? There is one thing that, I don't know why, is not said: a trip to Argentina was planned in November 2017. It was starting to work out, we were planning on doing Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. It was for the end of November... But then at that time Chile was in an election campaign, in those days in December Michelle Bachelet's successor was elected, and I had to go before she changed the government. So I couldn't go. We had thought of doing it this way: let's go in January to Chile and then Argentina and Uruguay... But it was not possible, because January is like July-August for the two countries. On rethinking it. the suggestion was made: why not associate Peru? Because Peru had been detached from the trip to Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay. It had been left aside. And from there the trip in January 2018 to Chile and Peru was born. But this I want to say so that there are no fantasies of "homeland-phobia": when there is the opportunity it can be done, because there is Argentina, Uruguay, and the south of Brazil. Then regarding journeys: When the decision is made to travel, I listen to the advice of my advisors and sometimes someone comes and I ask: what do you think, should I go to that place? It's good for me to listen, that helps me make decisions later on. I listen to advisors and at the end I pray, I reflect a lot, on some trips I reflect a lot. Then the decision comes from inside, from the gut, almost spontaneously, but like ripe fruit. It's a long journey. Some are more difficult, others are easier. The decision for this trip came from time back, from the ambassador, a pediatrician who represented Iraq: she was very good, she insisted. Then came the ambassador to Italy, she is a woman of struggle. Then came the new ambassador to the Vatican. Before that, the President had come. All these things stayed with me. But there is one thing behind my decision that I would like to mention: one of you gave me the Spanish edition of the book "The Last Girl" by Nadia Mourad. I read it in Italian, it's the story of the Yazidis. And Nadia Mourad tells terrifying things. I recommend you read it, in some places it may seem heavy, but for me this is the underlying reason for my decision. That book worked insideme. Even when I listened to Nadia who came to tell me terrible things... All these things together made the decision, thinking about all the issues, so many. But in the end the decision came and I made it. Then on the eighth year of the pontificate. Should I do this? (the Pope crosses his fingers in a sign of superstition, ed.). I don't know if the trips will come true or not, I just confess that on this trip I got much more tired than on the others. The 84 years do not come alone, it's a consequence... but we'll see. Now I will have to go to Hungary for the final Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress, not a visit to the country, but just for the Mass. But Budapest is a two-hour drive from Bratislava, why not make a visit to Slovakia? That's the way things come...

This trip was extraordinarily meaningful for people who were able to see you, but it was also a chance for the virus to spread, particularly for the people who were huddled together. Are you concerned that they might get sick and die from wanting to see you?

As I mentioned previously, the journeys "cook" over time in my consciousness, and this is one of the things that was empowering to me. I thought a lot, prayed a lot about it, and finally made the decision that truly came from within. And this [pandemic] was one of the things that made me question in my mind, maybe, maybe.... I prayed much and in the end, I took the free decision that came from within. And I said, ‘The one who led me to take that decision, let him take care of the people.’ I made the decision, conscious of the risks.” After everything.

We've seen the courage, the dynamism of Iraqi Christians, we've also seen the challenges they face, the threat of Islamist violence, the exodus and witnessing to the faith in their environment. These are the challenges of Christians throughout the region. We talked about Lebanon, but also Syria, the Holy Land. Ten years ago there was a Synod for the Middle East but its development was interrupted by the attack on Baghdad Cathedral. Are you thinking of doing something for the entire Middle East, a regional synod or any other initiative?

I am not thinking of a Synod, I am open to many initiatives but a Synod has not come to me. You have thrown the first seed, let's see. The life of Christians is troubled, but not only that of Christians, we talked about the Yazidis... And this, I do not know why, gave me a very great strength. There is the issue of migration. Yesterday as we were driving back from Qaraqosh to Erbil, I was seeing a lot of people, young people, the age is very, very low. And the question somebody asked me: what is the future for these young people? Where are they going to go? Many of them will have to leave the country. Before leaving for the trip the other day, Friday, twelve Iraqi refugees came to say goodbye to me: one of them had a prosthetic leg because he had run away from the trucks and had an accident. Migration is a double right: the right not to migrate and the right to migrate. These people have neither, because they can't not migrate, they don't know how. And they cannot migrate because the world has not yet become aware that migration is a human right. Another time an Italian sociologist said to me, talking about the demographic winter in Italy: within forty years we will have to "import" foreigners to work and pay taxes on our pensions. You French have been smarter, you have gone ten years ahead with the law supporting the family, your level of growth is very great.

But migration is experienced as an invasion. Yesterday I wanted to receive after the Mass, because he asked for it, the father of Alan Kurdi, this child, who is a symbol. Alan Kurdi is a symbol: for this reason I gave the sculpture to FAO. It is a symbol that goes beyond that of a child who died in migration, a symbol of civilizations that die, that cannot survive, a symbol of humanity. Urgent measures are needed so that people have work in their own countries and do not have to migrate. And then measures to preserve the right to migrate. It is true that every country must study well the capacity to receive because it is not only the capacity to receive and leave them on the beach. It is to receive them, accompany them, advance them and integrate them. The integration of migrants is the key. Two anecdotes: in Zaventem, Belgium, the terrorists were Belgian, born in Belgium but ghettoized Islamic emigrants, not integrated. The other example, when I went to Sweden, the minister who said farewell to me was very young and had a special physiognomy, not typical of Swedes. She was the daughter of a migrant and a Swede, so integrated that she became a minister. Let's think about these two things, they will make us think a lot: integrate. On migration, which I think is the drama of the region. I would like to thank the generous countries that receive migrants: Lebanon, which has, I think, two million Syrians; Jordan - unfortunately we will not pass over it and the King wanted to pay us a tribute with planes as we passed - is very generous: more than one and a half million migrants. Thanks to these generous countries! Thank you very much!

In three days in this key country of the Middle East you have done what the powerful of the earth have been discussing for thirty years. You have already explained what is the interesting genesis of your travels, how the choices of your travels are born, but now in this contingency, looking at the Middle East, can you consider a trip to Syria? What could be the objectives from here a year of other places where your presence is required?

In the Middle East only the hypothesis, and also the promise, is Lebanon. I haven't thought about a trip to Syria, because the inspiration didn't come to me. But I am so close to the tormented and beloved Syria, as I call it. I remember at the beginning of my pontificate that afternoon of prayer in St. Peter's Square, there was the rosary, the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. And how many Muslims with carpets on the ground were praying with us for peace in Syria, to stop the bombing, at that moment when it was said that there would be a fierce bombing. I carry Syria in my heart. But thinking about a trip, it didn't come to me."

In these days, months, your activity has been very limited. Yesterday you had the first very close direct contact with the people in Qaraqosh: what did you feel? According to you, now with all the current health regime, can the general audiences with people, with faithful, recommence as before?

I feel different when I am away from the people in the audiences. I would like to start the general audiences again as soon as possible. Hopefully the conditions will be right, in this I follow the norms of the authorities. They are in charge and they have the grace of God to help us in this, they are in charge of giving the norms. We like them or we don't like them, they are responsible and they have to do that. Now I have started again with the Angelus in the square, with the distances it can be done. There is the proposal of small General Audiences, but I have not decided until the development of the situation becomes clear. After these months of imprisonment, I really felt a bit imprisoned, this trip was for me to come back to life. To live again because it is touching the Church, touching the holy people of God, touching all peoples. A priest becomes a priest to serve, to serve the people of God, not for careerism, not for the money. This morning in the Mass there was the Biblical Reading about the healing of Naaman the Syrian and it said that Naaman wanted to give gifts after he had been healed. But the prophet Elisha refused them. The Bible continues: the prophet Elisha's assistant, when they had left, settled the prophet well and hurriedly followed Naaman and asked for gifts for him. And God said, "the leprosy that Naaman had will cling to you." I am afraid that we, men and women of the Church, especially we priests, do not have this gratuitous closeness to the people of God who are the ones who save us. And being like Naaman's servant: yes, helping, but then going back for the gifts. Of that leprosy I am afraid. And the only one who saves us from the leprosy of covetousness, of pride is the holy people of God. The one God spoke of with David, "I have taken you out of the flock, do not forget the flock." That of which Paul spoke to Timothy: "Remember your mother and grandmother who nursed you in the faith," that is, do not lose membership in the people of God to become a privileged caste of consecrated, clerics, whatever. Contact with the people saves us, helps us, we give the Eucharist, the preaching, our service. But they give us belonging. Let us not forget this belonging to the people of God. What did I encounter in Iraq, in Qaraqosh? I didn't imagine the ruins of Mosul, I really didn't imagine.... Yes, I may have seen things, I may have read the book, but this touches, it is touching. What touched me the most was the testimony of a mother in Qaraqosh. A priest who truly knows poverty, service, penance, and a woman who lost her son in the first bombings by Isis gave their testimony. She said one word: forgiveness. I was moved. A mother who says: I forgive, I ask forgiveness for them. I was reminded of my trip to Colombia, of that meeting in Villavicencio where so many people, women above all, mothers and brides, told their experience of the murder of their children and husbands. They said, "I forgive, I forgive." We have lost that word, we know how to insult very well, we know how to condemn, me first. But to forgive...to forgive one's enemies, that is pure Gospel. That's what struck me most in Qaraqosh.

I wanted to know how you felt from the helicopter seeing the destroyed city of Mosul and then praying in the ruins of a church. If I may, since it's Women's Day, I wanted to ask a little question about women as well. You supported the women in Qaraqosh with very beautiful words, but what do you think about the fact that a Muslim woman in love cannot marry a Christian without being discarded by her family or worse?

"Of Mosul I said a little "en passant" what I felt. I stopped in front of the destroyed church, I had no words. Unbelievable, unbelievable... Not only that church but other churches, even a destroyed mosque. You can tell [the perpetrators] didn't agree with these people. Unbelievable our human cruelty. Right now, I don't want to say the word, we are starting again: look at Africa. And with our experience of Mosul these churches destroyed and everything, it creates enmity, war, and also the so-called Islamic State is starting to act again. This is bad, very bad. One question that came to my mind in the church was this: who sells the weapons to these destroyers? Why don't they make the weapons at home. Yes, they make some explosive devices... But who sells the weapons? Who is responsible? I would at least ask these gun sellers for the honesty to say: we sell guns. They don't say that. It's ugly. Now women. Women are braver than men, but that has always been the case. But even today women are humiliated, of you showed me the price list for women (prepared by Isis who were buying Christian and Yazidi women, ed). I couldn't believe it: if this is what a woman is like, depending on her age, she costs so much... Women are sold, women are enslaved. Even in the center of Rome, the work against trafficking is an everyday job. During the Jubilee I visited one of the many houses of the Opera Don Benzi. Ransomed girls, one with her ear cut off because she hadn't brought money that day, the other brought from Bratislava in the trunk of a car, a slave, kidnapped. This happens among us, eh! The trafficking of people. In these countries, especially in a part of Africa, there is mutilation as a ritual that must be done. But women are still slaves and we have to fight, struggle, for the dignity of women. They are the ones who carry history forward, this is not an exaggeration, women carry history forward and it is not a compliment because today is Women's Day. Even slavery is like that, the rejection of women... Just think there are places where there is the debate regarding whether repudiation of a wife should be given in writing or only orally. Not even the right to have the act of repudiation! This is happening today, but to keep us from straying, think of wat happens in the center of Rome, of the girls who are kidnapped and are exploited. I think I have said it all on this. I wish you a good end to your journey and I ask you to pray for me.

(non official working transcript and translation)

Higher Committee for Human Fraternity Hails Pope's Iraq Visit

Pope Francis’ historic Apostolic Journey to Iraq is “an important moment for the world a true promotion of the values advocated by the document on human fraternity,” affirmed the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity in a statement.

The Higher Committee noted that during his four-day trip to the Middle Eastern nation, Pope Francis visited a number of Iraqi cities, including Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Mosul. The Pope also attended a meeting for interfaith dialogue in Ur and, in a speech there, emphasized the importance of promoting human fraternity and called on believers to revive the values of human fraternity.

Pope’s visit fosters peace, cultural dialogue

Pope Francis aims to “promote cultural dialogue and a culture of convergence and inclusiveness so that everyone in our society can enjoy peace in his life regardless of his race, culture or religion,” said Cardinal Miguel Ayuso Guixot.

The Cardinal accompanied the Pope on his visit to Iraq, and is President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity.

Prof. Mohamed al-Mahrasawi, President of the Al-Azhar University and member of the Higher Committee, said that Pope Francis’ visit provided healing for the wounds of the Iraqi people after years of wars and destruction.

He said it would act as a call for tolerance and convergence on the values of citizenship and coexistence between all Iraqis and all peoples of the region. The professor added tolerance is the best response to the calls for hatred and extremism that took the lives of many and displaced millions of innocent people.

Principles of human fraternity

Praising the results of the papal visit to Iraq, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, also a member of the Higher Committee, emphasized that the Pope’s keenness to complete the visit reflects his belief in the need to apply the principles of human fraternity.

The visit, he noted, is “a practical application of the fraternity document and an example for what human fraternity can achieve by in the face of calls for division, hatred and extremism.”

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Higher Committee, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, stressed that the Pope’s presence in Iraq brought to light the religious and cultural diversity in Iraq and the region. It also showed how this diversity could be a way for achieving peace and cohesion among communities.

He further highlighted that the visit carried a powerful message that the whole world should support victims of war and extremism and not abandon them under any circumstances.

Judge Abdelsalam also said the Higher Committee will prepare a study on the results of the Pope’s visit, and will depend on it in its future plans and programs, to the benefit of all Iraqis.

'The Church in Iraq is alive': Pope Francis at Mass in Erbil

For more articles and videos of the Pope's visit to Iraq:

News from the Vatican - News about the Church - Vatican News 

“Today, I can see at first hand that the Church in Iraq is alive, and that Christ is alive and at work in this, His holy and faithful people,” Pope Francis said in his Homily during the concluding Mass for his Apostolic Journey to Iraq.

The Holy Father based his homily on a passage from St Paul: “Christ, the power and wisdom of God.” Jesus, he said, “revealed that power and wisdom above all by offering forgiveness and showing mercy.”

Too often, we “fall into the trap of thinking that we have to show others that we are powerful or wise” the Pope said. Suffering from “wounds of war and violence” we are tempted to react “with human power, human wisdom.” “Yet the truth is that all of us need the power and wisdom of God revealed by Jesus on the Cross,” said Pope Francis.

Cleansing the temple of our heart

Turning to Sunday’s Gospel reading, which tells how the Lord drove the moneychangers out of the Temple, Pope Francis said God the Father sent Jesus to cleanse not only the Temple built of stone, “but above all, the temple of our hearts.” Our hearts, he said, must be cleansed “of the falsehoods that stain them, from hypocritical duplicity,” of “deceptive securities”; of “baneful temptations of power and money.”

But we cannot cleanse our hearts by our own effort, the Pope said. Instead, it is “Jesus Christ, He alone, [who] can cleanse us of the works of evil… He has the power to conquer our evils, to heal our diseases, and to rebuild the temple of our heart.”

Signs of Christ’s Kingdom

Pope Francis continued, saying, “Jesus not only cleanses us of our sins, but gives us a share in His own power and wisdom.” Jesus, he said, frees us from “narrow and divisive notions of family, faith and community” to build an inclusive Church and society that cares for our brothers and sisters in need.

At the same time, Jesus “strengthens us to resist the temptation to seek revenge,” and sends us forth, “not as proselytizers, but as missionary disciples, men and women to testify to the life-changing power of the Gospel.”

When He promises to raise up the Temple after three days, the Pope said, Jesus is not talking only of his own bodily Resurrection, “but of the Church as well.” The Lord, he said, “promises us that, by the power of the resurrection, He can raise us, and our communities, from the ruins left by injustice, division, and hatred.”

Jesus, said Pope Francis, “wants to anoint every hurt, to heal every painful memory, and to inspire a future of peace and fraternity in this land.”

Confirming Iraqi Christians in their faith

Turning to the Iraqi Christian community, the Holy Father concluded his homily, saying, “The Church in Iraq, by God’s grace, is already doing much to proclaim this wonderful wisdom of the Cross by spreading Christ’s mercy and forgiveness, particularly towards those in greatest need.”

This, the Pope said, “is one of the reasons that led me to come as a pilgrim in your midst, to thank you and to confirm you in your faith and witness.”

Pope blesses statue of Mary

Due to coronavirus health and safety measures, about 10,000 people were present in Erbil's Franso Hariri Stadium for Sunday's Eucharistic Liturgy, with tens of thousands more following along thanks to the various means of social communication, including radio, television, and the internet. 

At the conclusion of the Eucharistic liturgy, Pope Francis blessed a statue of the Virgin Mary that had been vandalized by Islamic State militants. The head and hands of the statue had been cut off, but the head was later recovered and reattached.

Father Samir Sheer, director of Radio Mariam in Erbil, explained that the statue originally came from the Christian village of Karamles. "After the blessing," he said, "the statue will return to the Nineveh Plain. The hope of local Christians is that Our Lady will soon return to embrace her children in Karamles."

Pope Francis departs on Apostolic Journey to Iraq

The Pope boarded an Alitalia A330 at Fiumicino airport on Friday morning to begin his visit to the Middle Eastern nation of Iraq.

The papal plane took off at 7:45 AM, and is due to land at Baghdad’s International Airport around 2 PM local time. This will be the first time a Pope visits Iraq.

Pre-trip encounter 

Before leaving the Casa Santa Marta on Friday morning, Pope Francis met briefly with around a dozen Iraqi refugees living in Italy. 

The refugees are assisted by the Community of Saint Egidio and the Auxilium Cooperative. There were accompanied by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner, according to Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office. 

Iraqi militia ceasefire 

As the Pope set off, a little-known Shia militia group active in Iraq declared a unilateral, temporary ceasefire to coincide with his visit. The Guardians of Blood Brigade announced in a statement that they would "suspend every form of military operation during the visit of the Pope, in respect of Imam al-Sistani and in the name of Arabic hospitality."

Known in Arabic as "Saraya Awliya al-Dam", the group claimed the 16 February rocket attack on a US-led coalition airbase in Erbil, which killed one military contractor. 

Day 1: Baghdad

Upon arrival in Iraq, Pope Francis will meet privately with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Then, following an official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Pope Francis will visit President Barham Salih. The Holy Father's first public event will be with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at 3:45 PM in the Presidential Palace.

Afterwards, he will travel to the Syro-Catholic Cathedral of “Our Lady of Salvation” and meet with Bishops, priests, religious persons, seminarians and catechists. 

Day 2: Najaf, Ur, Baghdad

On Saturday, Pope Francis will travel by plane to the cities of Najaf and Ur, before returning to Baghdad.

Due to depart from Baghdad at 7:45 AM, the Pope's first event of the day is a courtesy visit in Najaf to Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani, described as one of the leading spiritual leaders of Iraq’s Shia Muslims.

He will then depart for Nassiryiaat 10:15, in order to lead an interreligious meeting at the Plain of Ur shortly after 11:00.

The Pope will then return to Baghdad, where, at 6:00 PM he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph.

Day 3: Erbil, Mosul, Qaraqosh

On Sunday, his third day in Iraq, Pope Francis will travel to Erbil, Mosul and Qaraqosh.

He is due to be welcomed upon his arrival in Erbil, at 8:20 AM, by the President of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan and the civil authorities of the region. He will then meet with Nechirvan Barzani and Masrour Barzani, respectively President and Prime Minister of the autonomous region, privately, before departing by helicopter for Mosul.

In Mosul, where he is due to arrive at 9:35 AM, Pope Francis will lead a prayer of suffrage for war victims, at Hosh al-Bieaa (Church square).

He will then travel to Qaraqosh where he will visit the faithful at the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Afterwards, he will return to Erbil, where at 4:00 PM he will celebrate Holy Mass at the "Franso Hariri" stadium. The Pope will then travel back to Baghdad, where he is due to arrive at 7:15 PM.

Day 4: Baghdad, Rome

Finally, on Monday, Pope Francis will depart from Baghdad International Airport at 9:40 AM, following a brief farewell ceremony.

He is expected to arrive at Rome's Ciampino Airport at 12:55 PM.

Pope Francis entrusts Iraq visit to protection of Our Lady

As per his long-established tradition on the eve of trips abroad, Pope Francis traveled across Rome on Thursday afternoon to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

He paused to pray for a moment before the ancient Roman icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the Pope entrusted his upcoming visit to Iraq to Our Lady’s protection.

He is scheduled to depart Rome on Friday morning for his 33rd Apostolic Visit abroad, which takes him to Iraq on 5-8 March.

Devotion to ancient Roman icon

Pope Francis laid a bouquet of flowers on the altar below the ancient image of the “Salvation of the Roman people”, which is housed in the Borghese chapel.

Tradition holds that it arrived in Rome in the year 590 AD, during the reign of Pope Gregory the Great.

Maria Salus Populi Romani has twice received a canonical coronation.

Pope Gregory XVI crowned the image of Our Lady in 1838, and Pope Pius XII repeated the gesture of devotion during the Marian year of 1954.

The Vatican Museums cleaned and restored it in 2018.

Pope Francis asks for prayers for his visit to Iraq

Pope Francis addressed the faithful on Wednesday morning asking them to accompany him with prayers as he sets off for an Apostolic Journey to Iraq.

“The day after tomorrow, God willing, I will go to Iraq for a three-day pilgrimage. For a long time I have wanted to meet those people who have suffered so much; to meet that martyred Church in the land of Abraham,” he said, speaking during the weekly General Audience.

Together with other religious leaders in the country, the Pope continued, he hopes another step forward will be taken “in fraternity amongst believers.”

“I ask you to accompany this apostolic journey with your prayers, so that it may unfold in the best possible way and bear the hoped-for fruits," he said.

The people of Iraq are awaiting us, Pope Francis concluded, recalling that they had hoped for a visit from Pope Saint John Paul II, who was "not permitted to go".

“One cannot disappoint a people for the second time,” he said, reiterating his request for prayers so that the journey may bring good fruits.

Pope St. John Paul II

Pope St. John Paul II had expressed his desire to visit Iraq several months before the start of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

"If it be God's will, I would like to go to Ur of the Chaldees, the present-day Tell el-Muqayyar in southern Iraq, the city where, according to the biblical account, Abraham heard the word of the Lord," he said at the time.

But the papal trip never took place, and of all countries with a biblical history, Iraq has remained the only nation in the Holy Land not visited by a Pope.

Iraq: faith-based organizations welcome Pope’s visit and message of fraternity

Several faith-based organizations operating in Iraq have issued a joint interreligious statement welcoming Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to the country which is scheduled from 5 – 8 March.

The Tuesday joint statement, co-signed by 29 organizations – both Catholic and non-Catholic – expressed collective anticipation of the papal visit, joyful that it will bring with it, a message of fraternity and dialogue to the middle eastern nation.

Iraq’s challenges

Recounting the history of Iraq – “the birthplace of Abraham, father of many in faith,” the statement highlights that is a beautiful country of rich cultural and religious diversity within which many ethnic and faith communities have lived side by side for many centuries. However, recent decades have been marked by war, insecurity and the rise of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) which have “deeply strained relations between communities and damaged the country’s social fabric.”

Still yet today, “Iraq still faces daunting challenges,” said the organizations. “Among the 1.2 million Iraqis who continue to be internally displaced and approximately 4.8 million returnees, many are in dire need of help.” All these, coupled with a worsening economic crisis, further exacerbated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, is “pushing many into poverty and depriving the government of resources need to assist its own people.”

Pope Francis’ message of universal fraternity

The joint statement recalls that in the Holy Father’s latest Encyclical, Fratelli tutti, he writes that religions have a role to play at the service of fraternity in the world. In the same vein, the Abu Dhabi Document on Human Fraternity underscores that “faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved” and believers are called to express fraternity through safeguarding creation and supporting all people, especially the poorest and those most in need.

Inspired by these, the organizations express their support for the “message of fraternity and dialogue that Pope Francis is bringing to Iraq” adding, that they believe “it represents a necessary way forward to heal past wounds and build a future for the country’s diverse communities” as they continue to collaborate with authorities to help communities “reconcile, rebuild peace, and reclaim their collective rights to safety, services and livelihoods.”

At the same time, the organizations reiterated their commitment to continue to serve and empower people without discrimination on the basis of their needs, and respect others’ cultural values and religious convictions while rejecting all forms of sectarianism and proselytism, strengthen. They also promised to strengthen inclusive initiatives and approaches that foster social cohesion, as well as intensify collaboration between themselves in the service of those in need.

Finally, the faith-based organizations urged the international community to “remain engaged in supporting the Iraqi people to overcome their current challenges, in a true spirit of human fraternity and solidarity.”

Cardinal Parolin: Pope Francis’ visit is sign of closeness to the Church in Iraq

Pope Francis’ first papal Apostolic Journey to Iraq is scheduled to begin on Friday, 5 March. During the four-day visit, the Pope will meet with Christian communities as well as civil and religious authorities.

This will be the Holy Father’s first trip abroad in about fifteen months as the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions on movement have posed a challenge to external travel. It is also the first-ever papal journey to Iraq.

The Apostolic visit begins on Friday morning when the Pope departs from Rome for Baghdad's International Airport. He is slated to visit several cities including Mosul, Qaraqosh and Erbil.

As preparations enter into high gear, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, released a video message highlighting the significance of this historic visit to the Middle Eastern nation and to its Christian communities.

Sign of closeness to the Church

Speaking to Vatican News, Cardinal Parolin described the Pope’s visit as a sign of his “closeness to the Catholic Church” in the country and to its dwindling Christian communities.

“We know that the Church has suffered a lot,” Cardinal Parolin said. “It has lost many Christians who have left Iraq for other countries.”

The Church, therefore, needs the presence of the Holy Father “to be encouraged and to continue her mission of witnessing Jesus Christ and the Gospel in the difficult situation in which she finds herself,” he said.

The presence of Christians in Iraq has significantly diminished in the past two decades. In 2003, before the deposal of Saddam Hussein, there were approximately 1.4 million Christians in the country. However, thousands of Christians were killed and many others fled for their lives in the face of violence and persecution under the 2014 – 2017 occupation of the Plain of Nineveh by the so-called Islamic State.

Boosting reconstructive efforts

Another positive dimension to the Pope’s visit, according to the Cardinal, is to “boost the efforts which have already started to reconstruct the country.

These efforts, he said, are carried out on many fronts, and include fighting corruption and sectarianism, and ensuring that everyone is treated equally – "giving to everyone their deserved places in the fabric of society notwithstanding their religious belonging or class."

Interreligious dialogue

Of major importance also, is the interreligious significance of the Pope’s visit.

As part of his itinerary, the Pope will travel to the holy city of Najaf to meet with the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is an influential Muslim cleric

Pope Francis has been an outspoken proponent of interfaith efforts. In February 2019, the Pope and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar in Cairo, Ahmed al-Tayeb, signed a historic declaration on Fraternity in Abu Dhabi.

The Pope’s visit, Cardinal Parolin concluded, will be an occasion of “interreligious dialogue, collaboration, understanding and fraternity between Christians and Muslims in view of the good of the country and its brighter future.”

Pope calls for end to violence against Myanmar protesters

Pope Francis once again lifted his voice in support of the people of Myanmar on Wednesday, in the wake of a deadly crackdown on protesters.

Security forces have killed at least 30 people participating in pro-democracy marches since the military coup on 1 February.

Lamenting the deadly clashes, the Pope called on the ruling military junta to stop the violence.

“I wish to call the attention of authorities involved, so that dialogue might prevail over repression, and harmony over discord,” said Pope Francis.

He also urged the international community to ensure that “the aspirations of the people of Myanmar are not suffocated by violence.”

“May the young people of that beloved land be allowed to hope in a future in which hate and injustice give way to encounter and reconciliation,” he said.

Release of political prisoners

The Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military, seized power in a coup on 1 February, detaining many political leaders.

Aung San Suu Kyi, then the State Counsellor, de facto leader, and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was arrested and faces several charges, including causing “fear and alarm” and possessing illegally imported communications equipment.

In his appeal, Pope Francis called on the military junta to release political prisoners and take steps toward restoring democracy.

“Finally, I repeat my appeal expressed one month ago,” he said, “that the journey toward democracy undertaken in recent years by Myanmar might be renewed through the concrete gesture of the liberation of political leaders who are currently incarcerated.”

Violent crackdown

The Pope’s appeal come on the heels of a recent, violent crackdown on protesters.

After nearly a month of peaceful demonstrations against the coup, security forces began using live ammunition against protesters across the country over the weekend.

Just on Wednesday, the same day as the Pope’s appeal at the General Audience, police killed at least 9 people participating in pro-democracy marches.

Estimates put the total death toll at around 30 since 1 February.

Iraq: An overview of the Church and of the country's Christian communities

Christianity has been in Iraq from its earliest times, as the Acts of the Apostles testify. Its origins go back to the preaching of St Thomas the Apostle and his disciples Addai and Mari in the first century A.D., which extended to East Asia. Iraq is therefore, biblically and historically, an important land for all Christians who have played an important role in its history.

A history of persecution and discrimination

The Iraqi Christian community, that is composed today of Chaldeans, Assyrians, Armenians, Latins, Melkites, Orthodox and Protestants, has been marked by persecution and discrimination since the arrival of Islam and even after Iraq’s independence. Under Saddam Hussein’s secular regime, Christians had found a modus vivendi that allowed the Church to carry out its activities, also in the charitable field. However, already at that time - especially after the succession of wars started in the Eighties - more and more Iraqi Christians began to emigrate establishing a number of communities abroad.

Plunging numbers. The exodus after 2003 and between 2014 and 2017

The most massive exodus occurred after the US-led military intervention in 2003, due to insecurity, violence and attacks and between 2014 and 2017, after the establishment of the self-proclaimed “Islamic State" (IS - DAESH) in the north of the Country.

On the eve of the second Gulf War, Christians in Iraq were estimated between 1 and 1.4 million (approximately 6% of the population). Since then, their numbers have plunged to barely 300-400.000, according to the most recent estimates of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Between 2003 and March 2015, approximately 1,200 Christians were killed, including Archbishop Paulos Rahho of Mosul of the Chaldeans, who was murdered in 2008, 5 priests and the 48 victims of the jihadi attack against the Syrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Help in Baghdad on October 31 2010) and 62 churches were damaged or destroyed.

The IS occupation of the Nineveh Plain, which is the cradle of Mesopotamian Christianity, literally emptied this region of Christians. More than 100,000 were forced to flee their homes along with other persecuted minorities such as the Yazidis. Many of these families have found refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan, namely in Ankawa, the Christian quarter of Erbil, in refugee camps in Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon, or have sought asylum in Europe and other countries. In recent years, at least 55,000 Iraqi Christians have also expatriated from Iraqi Kurdistan. Many churches and Christian properties have also been destroyed or severely damaged. An important part of the Christian historical heritage was saved from destruction by Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussa of Mosul of the Chaldeans, who managed to save over 800 historical manuscripts and for this, in 2020, was awarded the Sakharov Prize by the EU.

Insecurity and sectarianism an ongoing threat to Iraqi Christians 

After the military defeat of the Caliphate in Iraq in 2017, Christians have gradually begun to return to the Nineveh Plain, with the help of the universal Church and, in particular, of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Today, almost 45% of Nineveh's Christians have returned to their homes, while 80% of the churches in the Plain are undergoing reconstruction (with the exception of Mosul, due to red tape problems).

To date, about 57% of the damaged homes belonging to Christian families in the region and included in the reconstruction plan have been repaired, 35% of with the financial support of ACN, who has also facilitated the establishment of the Nineveh Reconstruction Committee (NRC) with  the aim of encouraging Christians to return to their communities and ensuring them and to other minorities protection.

Yet the lack of security and ongoing harassment, intimidation and exactions by local militias and hostile groups continue to threat the Iraqi Christian community, especially in this area. This was confirmed by the Report "Life after Isis: New challenges to Christianity in Iraq", released in autumn 2020 by ACN,  and by “Open Doors", a Christian organization which helps persecuted Christians around the world and has promoted the "Centres of Hope" initiative in Iraq.

The aspiration to full citizenship in a peaceful and pluralistic Iraq

Insecurity, political instability, sectarianism, but also corruption and the economic crisis, which has worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to discourage Christians from returning or staying in the Country. To ensure their future in a united and jihadi-free Iraq, they need above all  recognition of their full citizenship. This is the reason why Christian Churches have long insisted for a secular Constitution and for a more active role in the Iraqi political and social life. The Constitutional Charter approved in 2005 formally guarantees respect for religious freedom, but Article 2 actually establishes Islam as the official State religion and a primary source of legislation. Islam continues to be a privileged religion in the Iraqi system to the detriment of minorities.

Chaldean Patriarch H.B. Louis Raphaël Sako has repeatedly brought up this issue, insisting on the importance of an open dialogue between all parties involved to build a strong and pluralist State that respects all citizens, regardless of their religion and ethnicity. This was also reiterated at the last Synod of the Chaldean Church in August 2019, which called for a State based on "equality, justice, law" which recognizes a fair representation for Christians in government institutions.

The Iraqi Churches have found support on these issues from the Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Since taking office on 7 May 2020, al-Kadhimi has expressed on several occasions the desire to stop the exodus of Christians and to involve them in rebuilding the Country, emphasizing that they represent an important component of Iraqi society. These words have been accompanied by action. One important gesture was the recent go-ahead from the Iraqi Parliament to the recognition of Christmas as a public holiday throughout the country on a permanent base.  More recently, even the Shiite leader Muqtada al Sadr, head of the powerful Sadrist Party, has shown his willingness to dialogue with the Iraqi Christian community, by returning the properties stolen over past years by Shite groups to their legitimate owners.

The Holy See's concerns  for Christians in Iraq

The plight of Christians in Iraq has always been of great concern for the Holy See, especially since the second Gulf War of 2003, which Pope Saint John Paul II strenuously opposed, as he did in 1991, warning about “the tremendous consequences that an international military operation would have for the population of Iraq and for the balance of the Middle East region, and for the extremisms that could stem from it” (Angelus, March 16 2003).  The Pontiff was fully aware of the repercussions that this second armed conflict would have had on Christian communities in Iraq and throughout the region.

The establishment of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in 2014 further precipitated their situation. In this context, Pope Francis too has constantly voiced his closeness "to the beloved Iraqi people". This concern was reaffirmed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on the occasion of his trip to the Country in December 2018. During his visit, Vatican Secretary of State insisted on the importance of overcoming hatred and expressed the Church's gratitude for the Iraqi Christian witness which - he said - has become “a living example for all Christians in the world".

Pope Francis The reiterated the hope that Iraq “can face the future through the peaceful and shared pursuit of the common good on the part of all elements of society, including the religious” on 10 June 2019, during the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO), when he expressed his desire to visit Iraq in 2020.

The importance of preserving the historical presence of Christians in the Country and the need to guarantee their security and a place in the future of Iraq was once again highlighted on the occasion of the second official visit to the Vatican by President Barham Salih, on January 25, 2020, which focused on the challenges facing the Country and on the importance of promoting stability and the reconstruction process.

Pope Francis insisted on the need to protect the "Christian presence" in Iraq and in the entire region during an online meeting on the Syrian and Iraqi humanitarian crisis organised by the Vatican Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development with dozens of Catholic NGOs, on 10 December 2020. "We must work to ensure that the Christian presence in these lands continues to be what it has always been: a sign of peace, progress, development, and reconciliation between peoples", the Pontiff said in a video-message, calling on the international community to encourage the return of communities dispersed by war.

”In this context, the announcement on 7 December 2020 of Pope Francis' pastoral journey has been welcomed with enthusiasm by the Iraqi Church. The papal trip takes place 21 years after Pope John Pauls II’s “dreamed visit” to the Country, on the occasion of his Jubilee pilgrimage in the footsteps of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Paul in year 2000, was cancelled due to the political situation in Iraq.

Iraq: CRS preparing interreligious ground ahead of Pope’s visit

Pope Francis sets off Friday for the first-ever papal visit to Iraq.

His Apostolic Journey is stirring up great excitement in the Middle Eastern nation, which boasts the reputation of being the birthplace of the patriarch Abraham.

Christians, Jews, and Muslims all trace their roots back to Abraham, and the Pope’s visit is providing an opportunity to renew interreligious ties in long-suffering Iraq.

As that day approaches, Hassan Amer Abdullah, a project officer with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), spoke to Vatican Radio to offer his perspective.

Human fraternity: people for people

Himself a Muslim working for the American arm of Caritas, Mr. Amer says Pope Francis’ visit will remind Iraqis of their common heritage after decades of conflict, including the insurgency of the so-called Islamic State.

“The Pope’s visit will emphasize the message of human fraternity: that we are all brothers and that we can unite to support each other,” he said.

Mr. Amer recalled an Islamic saying he feels characterizes the Apostolic Journey: “People for people, regardless of their religion.”

He added that the visit is an opportunity for Iraqis to take notice of the solidarity being shown by countless international organizations and aid agencies.

“One good message that will be shared,” said Mr. Amer, “is that all Iraqis are coming together to rebuild their community and restore peace, regardless of their religious backgrounds.”

He said the visit should provide a message of “hope, solidarity, and peace for the Iraqi community”, especially for the younger generations.

Birthplace of Abraham

The CRS officer also pointed out that this is an historic visit, marking the first time a Pope will travel to Iraq. His visit will therefore provide an opportunity for the world to take notice of the country’s situation and history.

One stop on Pope Francis’ itinerary will take him to Ur of the Chaldeans, the place where Abraham was born and from which he set out to travel to the Promised Land.

“Iraq is the birthplace of Abraham, the spiritual father of many religions,” noted Mr. Amer.

Healing shattered relationships

Iraqis have suffered much over the past 2 decades, starting with the US-led invasion in 2003 and culminating in the rise of the so-called Islamic State in 2014.

These events have gone some way toward driving a wedge between Christians and Muslims in parts of the country.

Yet, Mr. Amer is hopeful for the future of interreligious relations. “Christians and Muslims are now rebuilding trust between them as a result of the conflict and the issue of displacement.”

He admitted that the operation is ongoing, but that many organizations are setting up programs to help promote reconciliation and peace.

“As an agency,” he added, “we need to keep working on bolstering relationship building here in Iraq.”

Mr. Amer then pointed to his own religious background as an example of interreligious dialogue.

“As a Muslim, I work at Catholic Relief Services with colleagues of different faiths to contribute to restoring peace and rebuilding trust between groups.”

He said CRS has put in place a project to empower youth of various religions to define together a vision for their community and their children.

Rebuilding peace in fraternity

Catholic Relief Services arrived in Iraq in response to the destruction unleashed by the so-called Islamic State. The Caritas-member agency thus serves communities mostly in the northern part of the country where the terror organization was most active.

Mr. Amer said CRS first began responding to the humanitarian situation with emergency aid projects. These included food distribution, cash handouts, shelters, and assistance with basic sanitary needs, as well as educational projects.

As the situation gradually improved, CRS has set up other programs to promote peace and reconciliation in Iraq’s war-torn communities.

“CRS has been working through many phases of our plan, starting from the frontline response to the long-term, sustainable plan, which hopes to bring people together to seek solutions to their common problems.”

Pope Francis’ much-anticipated visit will surely provide some much-needed oomph to push Iraqis along their long path toward fraternity.

Iraq trip is opportunity for pope to build rapport with Shiite Muslims

As Pope Francis continues his efforts to encourage and personally engage in interreligious dialogue, his planned March trip to Iraq will be an opportunity to extend a hand to the Shiite Muslim community.

In Iraq — like in Iran, Bahrain and Azerbaijan — more than 60% of Muslims are Shiite. Worldwide, though, Shiites are a minority, making up less than 15% of the Muslim community. Most Muslims are Sunni.

While the two communities have had serious disputes, even violent ones, “the differences between Sunni Islam and Shiite Islam are not that important or obvious, because for both there is only one God, and Muhammad is his blessed prophet and the one who received the Quran,” the sacred text, said Shahrzad Houshmand Zadeh, a Shiite Muslim theologian who has taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Often referred to as sects or schools of thought or even denominations, the Sunni and Shiite communities split early in Islamic history in a dispute over who was the legitimate successor to Muhammad in leading the community. For the Shiites, the obvious choice was Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, whom they believe was designated by Muhammad. The Sunnis instead decided to elect a caliph and chose Abu Bakr as the first; but years later they chose Ali as the fourth caliph, so both recognize him as an important figure in early Islam.

Ali is buried in the Iraqi city of Najaf, and his mausoleum is a pilgrimage destination. Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the city March 6 for a meeting with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of Shiite Islam’s most authoritative figures.

After his February 2019 meeting with Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, who is an authority recognized by many Sunnis around the world, the pope’s meeting with Ayatollah al-Sistani will extend that outreach to all Muslims, Houshmand said.

While no common document is expected from the pope’s meeting with the ayatollah — unlike the document on “human fraternity” signed with the sheikh — “I am certain there will be a great, perhaps even greater spiritual understanding” between the two, Houshmand said.

“I do not know if he means to or not, but the pope also is creating greater harmony between Sunnis and Shiites,” she said. “These encounters, which are so courageous, innovative and urgent, are a source of hope for humanity.”

In a way similar to what happened after splits developed within Christianity, once the Sunni and Shiite communities broke from one another, differences began to develop in the areas of prayer and devotion, theology and jurisprudence although they continue to share the core tenets of faith. And they both insist on the importance of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, making a pilgrimage to Mecca and giving public witness to their faith.

One of the most obvious differences between Sunni and Shiite, Houshmand said, is the Shiite devotion to saints and, especially to Ali and the early imams. Just like Catholics are devoted to saints, but do not worship them, Shiites affirm the uniqueness of Muhammad as prophet, but believe holiness continues to exist in the world in the lives of the saints and that they can mediate between God and people on earth.

And also like Catholics, she said, Shiites have developed devotional practices, including religious processions, which are not a feature of the Sunni community.

Pope to Franciscan Centre for Solidarity: continue your work, following in Jesus' steps

Pope Francis opened his message to Florence's Franciscan Centre for Solidarity on Monday by greeting their President, Maria Eugenia Ralletto. He noted that the Centre has, for many years, been carrying out "a valuable service of listening to and being close to people who find themselves in difficult economic and social conditions". These, continued the Pope, include families facing different hardships and the elderly who need support or companionship. 

"First of all, I would like to say 'thank you'", said the Pope. He noted that the Centre is "an effective work of assistance" based on volunteering. "In the eyes of the faith you are amongst those who sow the seeds of the Kingdom of God" in a world that generates so much inequality, he added. 

Much like Jesus

He explained that Jesus, too, came into the world proclaiming the Kingdom of the Father and approaching human wounds with compassion. "He came especially close to the poor, to those who were marginalised and discarded, to the disheartened, the abandoned and the oppressed", said the Pope. 

The Pope went on to note that in its work, the Centre and those who work in it "are inspired by the luminous witness of St. Francis of Assisi, who practiced universal brotherhood and 'everywhere he sowed peace and walked beside the poor, the abandoned, the sick, the rejected, the last'", he said, quoting his latest encyclical, Fratelli tutti.

Thirty years bearing hope

The Pope noted that for almost thirty years now, the Centre has been following Jesus' example. This, he added, "is a concrete sign of hope and also a sign of contradiction in the busy life of the city, where so many find themselves alone with their poverty and suffering". He added that "it is a sign that awakens slumbering consciences and invites us to come out of indifference, to have compassion for those who are wounded, to bend down with tenderness over those crushed by the weight of life".

Concluding his message, Pope Francis urged the members of the Centre to "go forth courageously in your work!" He then prayed, that the Lord sustain them, "for we know that our good hearts and human strength are not enough.".

Pontifical Academy for Life marks first anniversary of “Rome Call AI” document

It has been a year since the Pontifical Academy for Life, together with Microsoft, IBM, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Minister for Technological Innovation of the Italian government, signed the “Rome Call for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics.”

The document, which has been endorsed by Pope Francis, “seeks a commitment towards developing AI technologies in ways that are transparent, inclusive, socially beneficial and accountable.”

Working for the common good

Marking the anniversary this 28 February, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, reiterated that “Progress can make a better world possible if it goes together with the common good.”

Growing awareness

The Archbishop noted in a statement that in 12 months “the family of signatories has grown”, and they are working to make the document more and more known, “in view of further accessions by strategic actors for an ethical approach to the themes of Artificial Intelligence.”

The Academy president also underlined that “a channel of dialogue with monotheistic religions is open, in order to converge on a common vision of technology at the service of all humanity.”

Working for inclusion

 “A year after the Call, the Pontifical Academy for Life is increasingly convinced and determined on the importance of placing itself at the service of each person in his/her entirety and of all people, without discrimination or exclusion,” he said.

The Archbishop emphasized that “the complexity of the technological world requires a more articulated ethical reflection, to make our commitment truly incisive.”

New alliance

He went on to say that what is needed is a ”new alliance between research, science and ethics, because we stand at a crucial crossroads, in order to build a world where technology is actually used for the development of peoples.”  

“That is a request coming from faith and reason,” continued the Archbishop. “Without equitable and widespread development there will be no justice, there will be no peace, there will be no universal brotherhood.”

Ethical commitment

Recalling the signing of the document just a year ago, the President of Microsoft, Brad Smith, said, “As we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rome Call will be even more important as we think more broadly and ethically about the future of technology.”

Meanwhile, Dario Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research, commented that his company believes that “AI has the ability to transform and improve our lives and our society in many important ways. For all of us to benefit from AI, it requires a commitment to actively develop, deploy, and use it responsibly in order to prevent adverse outcomes.”

“By 2050, the world will have to feed about 10 billion people. This will only be possible with transformed agri-food systems that are inclusive, resilient and sustainable. Artificial Intelligence in Food and Agriculture plays a key role in this transformation and in achieving Food for All," said FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu.

“It is essential,” underlined Archbishop Paglia, “that each of us understands that we are not an island. We are not “pulverized”, divided. We are one body, one family, for better or for worse. Let's stick together.”

Holy See calls for increased attention to the effects of the pandemic

The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovi? has underlined the important role of sincere dialogue as a tool for creating a positive impact on the world amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the sixth Interfaith Dialogue 2021 in Geneva on Wednesday, the Vatican official highlighted the common conviction that inspired the meeting, noting that the annual conference allows us “to share what is important to us, in a spirit of trust and fraternity, so that we can learn from each other, help each other and grow together in mutual respect.”

The event was themed, “The role of faith during the coronavirus pandemic.”

The pandemic and its effects

Archbishop Jurkovi? remarked on the devastating effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that it is shocking to reflect that just over a year ago, this new and practically unknown disease would overturn the world as we know it.

Every aspect of our lives has been affected, he stated. “Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives, countless others are suffering from the severe health crisis; many businesses have been closed around the world, many of which will never be able to reopen their doors, national economies have been devastated; production was stopped in many places, education has been reduced to virtual learning or has ceased altogether and situations of poverty have been pushed to the breaking point.”

Particularly affected by the ongoing health emergency, the Archbishop noted, are “migrants, refugees, indigenous peoples, children and mothers.” He further noted that innumerable people who were in a state of dire poverty before the pandemic have since died from starvation. All these, just as much as those who have contracted the virus, must be counted among the victims of this bitter scourge,” he said.

The unseen, subtler effects of the pandemic

Speaking further on the pandemic’s negative effects, the Archbishop pointed out that in addition to all the external consequences of the pandemic, perhaps the most unsettling ones are the more subtle, interior crises.

While emphasizing the importance of the health restrictions implemented around the world to ensure a safe environment for all, he noted, however, that “isolation at home, wearing of a mask, the loss of jobs, the impossibility to physically interact with family and friends” continue to have a profound psychological, emotional and spiritual impact on each of us.

From a Christian point of view, “God desires communion,” the Archbishop said. “The Almighty created us so that we can enter into a deep and meaningful relationship with our Creator and with one another. Only through this mutual and open sharing of ourselves we find true contentment and peace.”

However, he lamented, the covid pandemic has exacerbated some of the already existing tensions and increased the threats to unity between individuals, peoples, cultures and nations, and increased inequalities. He noted that “when resources and medical treatments are limited, it is understandable that each person and nation will seek to secure a stockpile for their loved ones but this “self-interested, myopic approach stands in direct contradiction to the unity and communion that truly brings fulfillment to the human heart.”

“The stockpiling of vaccines, the insistence on patent rights, the closing of borders and the general turning-in on oneself is an understandable reaction to the crisis,” the Archbishop said. However, “these responses, rather than helping us, really inflict upon us a much deeper plague than the Covid-19 pandemic…if left unchecked, it could separate us from what makes us truly human: our compassion and desire to live in fraternal communion.”

The reaction of faith amidst the pandemic

In the face of the current situation, our faith teaches us to look beyond ourselves and our immediate needs towards the common good, the Archbishop insisted. It is, therefore, no coincidence that the major faith traditions place a strong emphasis on selfless love, encouraging us all to take care of our brothers and sisters.

Archbishop Jurkovi? went on to reaffirm the commitment of Pope Francis and the Holy See to ensuring that the pandemic does not lead to even more tragic consequences and a further deterioration of authentic human interaction. Thus, in this regard, an ad hoc Commission was set up within the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development with the aim of fostering authentic and holistic care for all those affected by the pandemic.

Pope Francis’ latest Encyclical Fratelli tutti also puts at its center, the importance of human fraternity and the role of religious traditions in its promotion. In the Encyclical, the Pope emphasizes that different religions, inspired by their respect for the human person as a creature called to be a daughter or son of God, are called to contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society.

Concluding, the Permanent Observer, reiterating the Holy Father’s words in his message to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, stressed that the pandemic which has forced us to endure months of isolation and loneliness has also brought out the need for human relationships. He added that all of us, strengthened by our traditions and religious beliefs, can testify to the value and importance of cultivating spiritual health, rooted in fraternity and love, as an effective way to heal the world around us.

Faith shines bright amid the darkness in Myanmar

Three weeks after Myanmar’s army effectively ended Myanmar’s ten-year-old fledgling democracy, protesters again gathered on Wednesday in Yangon. It is the 19th day people have gathered since the first large protest on 6 February.

Myanmar’s Bishops voiced their concern on Sunday, one day after a 16-year-old boy was killed in Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. “The heart-rending scenes of youth dying in the streets wound the conscience of a nation… The sadness of parents burying their children has to stop. Mothers’ tears are never a blessing to any nation”. Healing can begin, they stressed, “with the release of detained leaders”.

The citizens of Myanmar are accompanied by women religious “fighting and protesting to end military dictatorship, to get justice and peace”. One of these Sisters, a Sister of St Joseph of the Apparition, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared her experience with Vatican News.

“On the first day of February, after our morning prayers, we came to know the sad news that our leaders were arrested. Some of us cried and we all were saddened. As soon as we finished our breakfast we start making adoration till midnight by turns.”

As the days unfolded, the Sisters began to understand their mission differently, but always in the paradigm of their charism.

“Our Congregation's charism is ‘Love’. Our mission is to show Love in different works of charity. Our Constitutions says ‘...fighting in the spirit of the Gospel against destitution and every kind of injustice...’ ”.

At first the sisters began to provide “snacks, coffee, juice” to the people who were taking to the streets. She confesses they were having a hard time finding the financial resources to continue providing this service. “Some donors began to offer us some help when they saw on Facebook what we were doing”, Sister says. “Even our smile is great support for the protesters”.

The Sisters have also taken part in two demonstrations in Yangon, standing and walking side-by-side their fellow citizens. “We surely understand that without demonstrating, the military dictatorship will never end. That is why we support the protesters as much as we can”. 

Sister describes the mood in the country in terms both positive and negative.

She writes that a positive aspect is that even though Generation Z had never directly experienced the military dictatorship, they are now coming to realize “they are the leaders now in this revolution. They are full of zeal and creative”, Sister writes. She tells us that the young people “are exhausted” but they will not stop until “the military give up their power, because Myanmar's military power has been destroying our country for more than 60 years already”. However, Sister emphasizes, they are committed to the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

Writing about the negative aspect, Sister says, “We are scared, worried, insecure and sometimes hopeless. During the night we are scared because the police and soldiers attack the activists, protest leaders, CDM officers and influencers during the night. More than 20,000 prisoners were released and the army paid them and ask them to set fires in the quarters. People from the quarters choose night watch among them to catch different kinds of night time terrorists”.

The sisters are determined to continue offering support to the cause, even though there may be unforeseen consequences. “During the day there are police everywhere. Although they are not causing us any harm, we are watched and we are alert during the night. No supporter or activist is safe in this time. They catch and arrest people at night everywhere in the country”.

All photos, courtesy of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition Facebook page. Used with permission.

US Bishops: Equality Act discriminates against people of faith and threatens unborn life

Five US Bishop committee chairmen have expressed their opposition to the recent reintroduction of the Equality Act (H. R. 5), scheduled to be voted upon by the House of Representatives in coming days.

In a letter jointly signed by the chairs of the USCCB committees on Religious Liberty, Pro-Life, Marriage, Catholic Education and Domestic Justice, they highlight threats posed by the proposed law to both people of faith and of no faith, to the right of freedom of speech, as well as to faith-based charities and health-care workers with conscience objections, among others.

Gender discrimination, abortion and the Equality Act

The Bishops warned that the Equality Act, while purporting to protect people experiencing same-sex attraction or gender discordance from discrimination, rather represents an imposition by Congress “of novel and divisive viewpoints regarding ‘gender’ on individuals and organizations;” including dismissing sexual difference and falsely presenting “gender” as a social construct.

Re-echoing Pope Francis’ reflections on the issue, the Bishops noted that “biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated.” Therefore, “it is one thing to be understanding of human weakness and the complexities of life, and another to accept ideologies that attempt to sunder what are inseparable aspects of reality.”

In this regard, they lamented that this Act can be construed to include an abortion mandate, which is “a violation of precious rights to life and conscience.”

The Bishops’ concerns

Furthermore, the Bishop chairmen pointed out that, rather than affirming human dignity in ways that exceed existing practical protections, the Equality Act risks inflicting numerous social and legal harms.

They noted that the Act, if passed, could punish faith-based charities, and consequently their beneficiaries, for their beliefs on marriage and sexuality; as well as force people and organizations to speak and act in support of ‘gender transitions’ even in instances when it is against their professional judgment. Likewise, people who insist on their beliefs on marriage and sexuality could be excluded from the careers and livelihoods that they love.

In addition, the Bishops warned that taxpayers could be mandated to pay for abortions, and health care workers forced to perform them, in spite of conscience objections and the consequent effect of ending more human lives.

The Bishops also highlighted that the Equality Act could force girls and women to compete against boys and men who “claim to identify as women” in sports, as well as share locker rooms and shower spaces with them. It could also expand the government’s definition of public places into numerous settings, including religious ones, forcing them to host functions that violate their beliefs.

Human dignity, respect for all without discrimination

The Bishop chairmen asserted that belief in human dignity is reflected in the Church’s charitable service to all, irrespective of race, religion or any other characteristic.

In this light, they continued, “we need to honor every person’s right to gainful employment free of unjust discrimination or harassment and to the basic goods that they need to live and thrive.” It also means that “people of differing beliefs and principles should be respected."

Concluding their message, the Bishops underlined that the Catholic Church - the largest non-governmental provider of human services in the country – holds the same core beliefs that the human person is made with inherent dignity and in the image of God. These beliefs, the Bishops insist, “motivate both our positions on life, marriage, and sexuality, and also our call to serve the most vulnerable and the common good.”

COMECE calls on European Parliament to protect all life

The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) has questioned some points of a resolution passed by the European Parliament on the so-called "right" to abortion in Poland in November 2020.

A letter issued by the Bishops on Monday and addressed to President of the European Parliament, David Maria Sassoli, stressed that the Catholic Church, which seeks to support women in life situations arising from difficult or unwanted pregnancies, “calls for the protection and care of all unborn life.”

“Every human person is called into being by God and needs protection, particularly when he or she is most vulnerable,” the Bishops said, adding that “special safeguard and care for the child, before and after birth is also expressed in international legal standards” including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Ban on abortion in Poland

An October 2020 ruling by the Polish Constitutional court established a near-total ban on abortion in the country, permitting it only in cases of rape or incest, or when the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother.

The ban, which came into effect in January, sparked protests in the Polish capital, Warsaw, among groups divided among supporters and opponents of the move.

The October court ruling found that a 1993 law allowing abortion in cases of severe and irreversible foetal abnormalities was unconstitutional. It justified its ruling on the grounds that unborn children are human beings and therefore deserve protection under the Polish constitution, which ensures the right to life.

The November 2020 Resolution of the European Parliament called for EU institutions to do more to support "sexual and reproductive health rights," including abortion, across member states and to support grassroots and civil society groups that foster the rule of law.

The argument of the rule of law

The Bishops highlighted in their letter, that neither the European Union legislation nor the European Convention on Human Rights provide for a right to abortion, leaving the matter consequently to the legal systems of the Member states.

In this regard, a fundamental principle of the EU is the principle of conferral under which the EU can only act based on limits of the competencies conferred on it by the member States in treaties signed with the goal of attaining the objectives of the said treaties.

Observing this principle, therefore, COMECE noted, is a “requirement of the rule of law” because, as the European Parliament’s resolution points out “respect for the rule of law is essential for the functioning of the Union.” The same rule of law, the Bishops emphasized, “also requires respect for the competences of the Member states and the choices made by them in the exercise of their exclusive competences.”

Conscientious objection

Another point of concern for the Bishops is that the Parliament’s resolution appears to question the fundamental right to conscientious objection, which is an emanation of the freedom of conscience referred to in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

This, the Bishops underscored, is particularly worrying and should not be promoted, as in many cases, conscientious objectors, especially in the healthcare sector, are subject to discrimination.

Equal treatment, non-discrimination

At the same time, the Bishops pointed out that in full respect to legal provisions of the Parliament’s referrals, in several passages of the Resolution, to the right to equal treatment and non-discrimination; they were concerned that the principle of non-discrimination could be used to blur the limits of the competences of the EU. They warned that this would go against article 51.2 of the EU Charter, which stipulates that the Charter “does not extend the field of application of Union law beyond the powers of the Union or establish any new power or task for the Union.”

COMECE went on to stress the necessity of considering fundamental rights like freedom of thought, conscience and religion in the light of their “universality, inviolability, inalienability, indivisibility and interdependence,” noting particularly that with regards to the right to conscientious objection, the EU Charter entail the need to respect national constitutional traditions and the development of national legislation.

The Bishops also expressed sadness at the lack of condemnation or expressions of solidarity in respect to the unacceptable attacks on Churches and places of worship in the context of the protests ensuing from the law in Poland.

Concluding the letter, which was signed by COMECE president Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, and four other Bishop Vice-presidents, the Bishops reaffirmed their availability to provide further clarifications on this crucial issue, which they warn might have a negative impact on the way the Union is perceived by Member States.

Pope calls slain Italian Ambassador in DRC servant of peace

In a message sent via telegram to Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday evening, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow regarding Monday's attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which left the Italian Ambassador, Luca Attanasio, a police officer and their Congolese driver dead. The three were travelling in a United Nations Convoy.

Pope Francis said in the telegram that he was saddened when he heard the news. "I express heartfelt condolences to their families, the diplomatic corps, and the carabinieri on the death of these servants of peace", he wrote.

The Pope then praised the "exemplary witness" of the Italian Ambassador, Luca Attanasio, saying he was an excellent person and Christian. Pope Francis also noted the Ambassador's dedication to "establish fraternal and cordial relationships, to restablish serene and harmonious relationships in the heart of the African country".

Pope Francis also drew attention to Vittorio Iacovacci, a member of the Italian Carabinieri, also killed in the attack. He described Mr Iacovacci as "expert and generous in his service who was about to form a new family". 

The Pope closed his telegram with the following words to President Mattarella:

While I lift up prayers in suffrage for the eternal repose of these noble sons of the Italian nation, I encourage you to trust in God's providence. None of the good accomplished is lost in His hands, even more so when it is confirmed through suffering and sacrifice. To you, Mr President, to the relatives and colleagues of the victims, and to all those who mourn their loss, I send my blessing from my heart.

Holy See reiterates calls for nuclear disarmament, arms control

The Holy See has reiterated calls for complete nuclear disarmament, or the limitation of armaments, under effective systems of control and verification, in the face of the principal threats to peace and security in the world today.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, made this call on Wednesday in a video message addressed to the High-Level Segment of the 2021 Session of the Conference on Disarmament taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Confronted with the many security challenges the international community is facing today,” he said, “it is essential that this Conference recognize that certain issues should transcend narrow individual interests by virtue of their contribution to the common good.”

The Archbishop also conveyed the Pope’s cordial greeting to the participants, and expressed the Holy Father’s hope that impasses would be overcome through “a renewed sentiment of urgency and co-responsibility.”

Peace, security threatened by arms proliferation

The Vatican official pointed out that “the desire for peace, security and stability is one of the deepest longings of the human heart, even though these noble aspirations are impeded by the erosion of multilateralism and the present climate of reciprocal distrust, notably in the field of disarmament."

He noted that while the importance of disarmament is evident for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, it also applies to increased military competition in outer space, and in the fields of cyberspace and artificial intelligence, as seen in the example of lethal autonomous weapons systems.

Another point of concern for the Holy See is the illicit traffic of small arms, light weapons and explosive weapons. These weapons, he explained, have been used to wreak havoc on schools, hospitals and places of worship, causing damage to basic infrastructure for the civilian population and affecting integral human development prospects.

At the same time, the Archbishop continued, huge military expenditures foment a vicious cycle of an endless arms race, preventing potential resources from addressing poverty, education, inequality and health. In this regard, he decried the link of national security to the accumulation of weapons, referring it as a “false logic” and a scandal which facilitates the “disproportion between the resources in money and intelligence devoted to the service of death and the resources devoted to the service of life.”

Signs of hope

In spite of the current situation, the Vatican official noted that there are some encouraging signs including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the recent five-year extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the US and Russia.

Archbishop Gallagher also remarked that the Holy See is looking forward to the forthcoming Review Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, in hopes that it “will result in concrete action in accordance with our joint intention to achieve at the earliest possible date the cessation of the nuclear arms race and to undertake effective measures in the direction of nuclear disarmament.”

Affirming that a world free of nuclear weapons is both “possible and necessary”, he said this conviction, reinforced by the entry into force of the TPNW, is also embodied in the spirit of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation (NPT). At the same time, he pointed out that the TPNW and NPT are “driven by the very same moral imperatives and objectives” as they “mutually reinforce and complement each other, demonstrating how zealous the desire for peace, security and stability truly is.”

Concrete suggestions

In light of the importance of the complexity of disarmament and arms control, the Holy See made two recommendations to the member States at the conference:

First, the Holy See encourages the member States to “engage in an expert study on the issue of verification, which could inform possible future negotiations on disarmament and arms control.” Archbishop Gallagher explained that verification, in addition to being a valuable confidence-building measure, is a “fundamental component in ensuring the efficacy of treaties under the well-known adage ‘trust and identify’.” He, therefore, urged the use of opportunities offered by new technologies to enhance reliable verification measures especially as it is of particular importance with regard to nuclear disarmament as well as other types of weapons.

The Holy See also suggests that the resumption of “a formal discussion on limitations of armaments and on general and complete disarmament under effective systems of control and verification, would be extremely beneficial” to the conference, especially in the light of principal threats to peace and security including terrorism, asymmetrical conflicts, cybersecurity poverty and environmental problems.

An ethical imperative

Highlighting the need for a “more cohesive and responsible cooperation,” Archbishop Gallagher reiterated Pope Francis’ constant reminder that we can only overcome the current crisis if we work together, because “no one is safe until everyone is safe.”

Concluding his message, the Archbishop stressed that disarmament can no longer be considered an optional objective, but rather an “ethical imperative.”

He thus called for a renewed sense of urgency in the commitment to achieve durable agreements towards peace and fraternity, insisting that certain issues should rise above consensus and transcend individual interest and agendas.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Italian ambassador killed in attack on UN convoy

Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was killed in an attack on Monday while travelling in a United Nations Convoy in the east of the country, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.

The ambassador, Luca Attanasio, 43, alongside an Italian carabineri police officer, Vittorio Iacovacci, and their Congolese driver, Moustapha Milambo, were ambushed as they were traveling from Goma, Congo’s eastern regional capital, to visit a World Food Program (WFP) school project in Rutshuru. All three of them died in the shooting attack while others in the convoy sustained injuries.

The WFP said that the attack occurred on a road that had been previously cleared for travel without security escorts. Rutshuru is just over two hours’ drive from Goma. The road out of the regional capital has been insecure, with several armed groups operating in the area despite the heavy presence of the UN peacekeeping mission in the region.

Condolence messages

In the wake of the tragedy, Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan expressed his condolences in a statement. He described the Ambassador as “a good man”, “a competent diplomat,”and “an enterprising young man” who was killed, and together with him, a police officer and their driver. He added that “they are victims of an uncontrollable and devastating violence.”

Archbishop Delpini recalled meeting the Ambassador in Milan in 2019 while preparing for a visit to the DRC. He also remembered that during his visit to the country, he heard good reports about the Ambassador, his wife and the mission, especially concerning their commitment to works of solidarity. At the same time, he noted getting reports about the violence and insecurity in the country.

“This is another reason for my deepest and very deep personal sorrow at the death of people dedicated to their duty, who interpreted their diplomatic service as a form of solidarity between peoples, who showed their willingness to take on the desolating poverty of a country rich in resources…” Archbishop Delpini said.

In a similar manner, Fr. Robert Kasereka, the president of OPAM - an organization working for the promotion of literacy in the world - expressed his deepest condolences and closeness in prayer to the families of the three victims in a statement, adding that Monday’s tragic killings has “deeply wounded Italy and the Democratic Republic of Congo, uniting them in the same great pain.”

He noted, however, that the attack unfortunately adds to the long list of violence that has taken place in the region in the past 20 years. He recalled that only a few days ago in Malambo, North Kivu, another ten people were killed including a young woman who was disemboweled. He further pointed out that over 10 million men, women and children have lost their lives to the violence over the past two decades.

Explaining further, he highlighted that a lot of the violence is due to struggles over the mineral wealth of the region which is rich in diamonds, gold and coltan, as well as the nutrient-rich soil conducive for the cultivation of cocoa and coffee. He added that since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the increase in refugees in the DRC, conflicts between the indigenous people and the refugees have increased, and currently, many of the mines are controlled by armed groups.

Fr. Ngongi, therefore, stressed the need for “an independent international investigation that can clarify the deep reasons of this tragedy in order to address them and to find a solution together.”

Statement from the UN

Separately, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, in a post on his official Twitter account on Monday, condemned the attack which led to the death of the Italian Ambassador, his bodyguard and a WFP colleague. He also called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

A statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General posted on the UN website conveyed Mr. Guterres’ deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, as well as to the governments of Italy and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The tragic killings have also drawn reactions from other Italian authorities and Congolese authorities who have both expressed regret and sorrow over the attack and reaffirmed their closeness to the families of the deceased.

DRC

The Mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued by violence and insecurity for years, resulting in massive displacement of people and widespread poverty and hunger. The country has also suffered further shocks with intermittent outbreaks of the Ebola virus currently complicated by ongoing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Eastern DRC in particular has been particularly ravaged by constant clashes between armed groups vying for control of territory and natural resources. In the consequent conflicts, thousands of civilians have suffered loss of lives and terrible damages to property.

Since 1999, the UN’s peacekeeping mission has been in the DRC working to restore stability in the country.

Tomasi: treaty an important first step towards a world free of nuclear arms

“The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons heralds in a new era in international law and increasingly in public opinion” Cardinal Silvano M. Tomasi, has said.

In an exclusive interview with the World Council of Churches (WCC) the former Permanent Observer to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva and to the World Trade Organization reflects on the positive impact of the Treaty (TPNW) and how Churches can get involved in the goal of freeing the world of nuclear weapons.

The TPNW was adopted by the United Nations on 7 July 2017 and entered into force on 22 January 2021. For those nations who signed it, the Treaty prohibits the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as assistance and encouragement to the prohibited activities. For nuclear armed states joining the treaty, it provides for a time-bound framework for negotiations leading to the verified and irreversible elimination of its nuclear weapons program.

Acknowledging that “moral declarations alone will lead to disarmament”, in the interview Cardinal Tomasi, notes that the newly enacted norms “can support and even drive complex negotiations, hopefully toward achieving the goal of a world free from nuclear weapons”, stressing the need for non-nuclear weapons states to make their voices heard on this issue. 

He also emphasizes the role of civil society actors and of Churches and religious communities: “In this area, religions and all denominations can converge and amplify together the same moral message for believers and non-believers alike”, he says, adding that “local initiatives are very important for moving towards total disarmament” and that “local actors can make their voices heard at higher levels, by contacting their representatives and networking online”.

Reminding that “the mere existence of nuclear weapons is a constant risk” and that “the pandemic has brought to light and intensified the extreme inequalities present in our societies”, the former Nuncio reaffirms that the establishment of a World Fund to address human development with the money previously invested in the military and weapons  “is primary” in relation to the socio-economic issues we face today: “Pope Francis has recognized that the pandemic brings to light our true priorities and needs as a human family, and has encouraged deep reflection and active changes towards a world more committed to building just systems at the service of the people. It is not only a worthy goal, but a moral good”, he stresses. “Increased investments in arms arise from a feeling of insecurity, but a society can never be secure if the essential needs of its people are not met”, he explains.

According to cardinal Tomasi, the present pandemic could act as a “catalyst” toward this ambitious goal:  “In economically difficult times for all states – including the great powers – being able to release funds to revive the economy is essential. Decreasing the funds allocated to the arms race and dedicating them to economic recovery is actually a strategic choice for those states that wish to maintain their preeminence within the international system. Their influence and power will soon be judged based on their ability to recover from the crisis”, he concludes.

Archbishop Gallagher to UN: Inalienable human rights must be defended

The Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, has called on the United Nations to “rediscover the foundation of human rights, in order to implement them in an authentic fashion”, as the world continues to take measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Archbishop Gallagher made this appeal in a video message during the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which commenced on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland. The four-week-long session, held virtually due to the ongoing health emergency, kicks off with a 3-day high-level segment when heads of states and dignitaries representing various countries and regions will address the council by video.

For over a year now, Archbishop Gallagher noted, “the Covid-19 pandemic has been impacting every aspect of life, causing the loss of many and casting doubt on our economic, social, and health systems.” At the same time, “it has also challenged our commitment to the protection and promotion of universal human rights, while at the same time asserting their relevance.”

Recalling Pope Francis’s words in his latest Encyclical Fratelli tutti, Archbishop Gallagher underscored its relevance to our time, noting that “by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity.”

Human rights are unconditional

The Archbishop highlighted that the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that “the recognition of the inherent dignity of all members of the human family and of the equal and inalienable rights constitutes the foundation of freedom, justice and peace.” Likewise, the UN Charter asserts its "faith in fundamental of human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women, and of nations large and small.”

He pointed out that these two documents recognize an objective truth – that every human person is innately and universally endowed by human dignity. This truth, he further stressed, “is not conditioned by time, place, culture or context.”

Acknowledging that this solemn commitment “is easier to pronounce than to achieve and practice,” he lamented that these objectives are “still far from being recognized, respected, protected and promoted in every situation.”

Rights are not separated from universal values

Archbishop Gallagher went on to affirm that the true promotion of fundamental human rights depends on the underlying foundation from which they derive.

He, therefore, warned that any practice or system that would treat rights in an abstract fashion – separated from pre-existing and universal values – risks undermining their raison d’être, and in such a context, “human rights institutions become susceptible to prevailing fashions, prevailing visions or ideologies”.

The Archbishop further cautioned that "in such a context of rights devoid of values, systems may impose obligations or penalties that were never envisioned by state parties, which may contradict the values they were supposed to promote." He added that they may even “presume to create so-called 'new' rights that lack an objective foundation, thus drifting away from their purpose of serving human dignity.”

The right to life

Illustrating the inseparability of rights from values with the example of the right to life, Archbishop Gallagher applauded that its content has been “progressively extended by countering acts of torture, enforced disappearances and the death penalty; and by protecting the elderly, the migrant, children and motherhood.” He said these developments are reasonable extensions to the right of life as they maintain their fundamental basis in the inherent good of life, and also because “life, before being a right, is first and foremost a good to be cherished and protected.”

Archbishop Gallagher stressed, however, that there is a risk "of undermining the value a right is intended to uphold when it is divorced from its fundamental basis." He noted, for example, an unfortunate precedent in the Human Rights Committee's general comments 36 on the right to life, which "far from protecting human life and dignity, twists its meaning to imply the right to assisted suicide and to end the lives of unborn children."

Covid-19 measures and human rights

In the face of the current Covid-19 pandemic, the Archbishop highlighted that some measures implemented by public authorities to ensure public health impinged on the free exercise of human rights.

In this regard, he proposed that “any limitations on the exercise of human rights for the protection of public health must stem from a situation of strict necessity,” because “a number of persons, finding themselves in situations of vulnerability – such as the elderly, migrants, refugees, indigenous people, internally displaced persons, and children – have been disproportionately affected by the current crisis.”

Any limitations imposed in an emergency situation, he insisted, “must be proportional to the situation, applied in a non-discriminatory fashion, and used only when no other means are available.”

Freedom of religion

Archbishop Gallagher also reiterated the urgency of protecting the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, noting in particular that “religious belief, and the expression thereof, lies at the core of the dignity of the human person in his or her conscience.”

Highlighting that the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic reveals that “this robust understanding of religious freedom is being eroded,” the Archbishop re-echoed the Holy See’s insistance that, “freedom of religion also protects its public witness and expression, both individually and collectively, publicly and privately, in forms of worship, observance and teaching," as numerous human rights instruments recognize. 

To respect the inherent value of this right, therefore, the Archbishop recommends that political authorities should engage with religious leaders, as well as leaders of faith-based organizations and civil society committed to promoting freedom of religion and conscience.

Human fraternity, multilateralism

Archbishop Gallagher noted that the current crisis presents us with a unique opportunity to approach multilateralism “as the expression of a renewed sense of global responsibility, of solidarity grounded in justice and the attainment of peace and unity within the human family, which is God’s plan for the world.”

Recalling Pope Francis’ invitation in the Fratelli tutti encouraging everyone to acknowledge the dignity of each human person in order to promote universal fraternity, he encouraged all to be willing to move beyond that which divides us in order to effectively combat the consequences of the various crises.

Concluding his message, the Archbishop reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to engage collaboratively to this end.

Pope: Caring for others a ‘vaccine’ against individualism

Pope Francis has recalled the “generous” and “heroic” efforts of doctors, nurses and other health care personnel during the coronavirus emergency.

The Pope’s remarks come in a letter addressed to Archbishop Vincent Paglia on the occasion of a memorial service for health care workers who have died as a result of the pandemic. The event was organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life, which Paglia heads, to mark the day set aside in Italy to recognize the service of health care personnel. The commemoration occurs on the one-year anniversary of the detection of the first case of Covid-19 in the country.

A challenge to society

“The example of so many of our brothers and sisters, who have risked their lives to the point of losing them, inspires deep gratitude in all of us, and is a cause for reflection,” the Pope writes. “In the presence of such self-giving, the whole of society is challenged to bear ever greater witness to love of neighbour and care for others, especially the weakest.”

A vaccine against individualism

He added, “The dedication of those who, even in these days, are working in hospitals and health care facilities is a ‘vaccine’ against individualism and self-centredness, and demonstrates the most authentic desire that dwells in the human heart: to be close to those who are most in need and to spend oneself for them.”

Pope Francis assured those taking part in Saturday’s memorial service of his spiritual closeness, saying, “I join spiritually with all those gathered for this significant commemorative event, and I greet you with my blessing.”

Pope to Brazilians: Lent, a time to be brothers and in dialogue

Lent offers Christians ample scope to do much in terms of charity. But when combined with ecumenism, charity brings to the forefront solidarity with dialogue. This is what Pope Francis says in his message on the occasion of  Brazil’s Ecumenical Fraternity Campaign, which allows us to open our hearts to our fellow travellers without fear or suspicion, seeking peace before the one God.

Greater solidarity in pandemic

Each year, the CNBB holds the annual Fraternity Campaign for Catholics at Lent, but every 5 years or so, it joins various Christian confessions of the country for the Ecumenical Fraternity Campaign. The theme of this year's Lenten Fraternity Campaign is "Fraternity and Dialogue: Commitment of Love", based on the Letter to the Ephesians: “Christ is our peace, He who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through His flesh.”    

In his message, Pope Francis evoked the basics of the Lenten period and the first reality facing humanity is the pandemic that has been particularly harsh in Brazil. The Pope said Christ “invites us to pray for those who have died, to bless the selfless service of so many health professionals and to encourage solidarity among people of goodwill”. Jesus calls us to take care of ourselves, of our health and to care for each other, as the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us.

In dialogue with fellow travellers

The theme of this year’s campaign underscores the need to search for communion with the various Christian communities of Brazil, a dialogue which the Holy Father defined as "a reason for hope". Christians, he pointed out, are the first to have to set an example, starting with the practice of ecumenical dialogue. It teaches us “to open our hearts to our traveling companion without fear or suspicion, and look first of all to what we seek: peace before the one God ".

Three Lenten tools

From this relationship of respect and sharing gushes forth that “precious contribution to the building up of fraternity and the defence of justice in society”, which the Pope reaffirms in his encyclical, Fratelli tutti. And within this horizon, the Pope recalls in his encyclical, lies the common effort to "overcome the pandemic". He asserts that “we will do so to the extent that we will be able to overcome divisions and unite around life".  And in order not to fall back into the temptation of "feverish consumerism and new forms of selfish self-protection" once the health crisis is over, Pope Francis encourages Christians to use the Lenten tools of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Holy See advocates for empowerment of women

The Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Monsignor Janusz Urba?czyk, has called for the empowerment of women in every area of life and work, at the same time encouraging the OSCE’s Economic and Environmental Forum to consider this important issue in its 2021 cycle.

Speaking during the first Preparatory Meeting of the 29th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF), held online on Monday, Monsignor Urba?czyk stressed that “the desire to protect and to promote the real equality of every human person and the acknowledgment of the complementarity of women and men remain important priorities of the Holy See.”

Valuing women fosters peace, social security

Monsignor Urba?czyk lamented that the persistence of the many forms of discrimination offensive to the dignity and vocation of women in the area of work is due to a long series of conditioning that penalizes them. He noted that many women have seen “their prerogatives misrepresented” and they have been “relegated to the margins of society and reduced to servitude.”

Reiterating Pope Saint John Paul II’s words in his 1995 “Letter to Women,” Monsignor Urba?czyk highlighted the urgent need to achieve real equality in all areas – equal pay for equal work, protection for working mothers, fairness in career advancements, equality of spouses as regards family rights and the recognition of the rights and duties of citizens in a democratic state.

He further emphasized that the increased economic and political empowerment and the promotion of women's participation in public life will “surely contribute to increased peace and security within both society at large and, in many cases, within the fundamental cell of society, which is the family unit.”

Covid-19 pandemic

Monsignor Urba?czyk went on to underline the harmful effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on women’s participation in the labor market.

He noted that “women are often the first to lose their jobs, especially when working in low paid employment or in the informal sector” where they are often the majority and where, in many cases, financial protection and benefits are lacking. Furthermore, “the burden of homeschooling has increased pressure on women, regardless whether they are in paid work or not,” he added.

Complementarity between men and women

In consideration of these circumstances surrounding women, Monsignor Urba?czyk calls for the “complementary collaboration of men and women,” adding that the empowerment of women in every area of life and work “will not only strengthen women, but will strengthen and empower security, stability and sustainable development."

Cardinal Parolin: Building peace, brick by brick

“I will tell the Pope that peace is being built here, little by little, brick by brick.” These are the words of Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to young people when he paid a brief visit on Tuesday to the tiny medieval hamlet of Cittadella della Pace (literally, “Citadel of Peace”), in the heartland of Italy’s Tuscany region.    

The village is home to the so-called 'Rondine Cittadella della Pace', an association that promotes a culture of peace and dialogue, especially working with people from countries who live or have just experienced wars and conflicts. 

Living with the “enemy”

Simply called Rondine, the non-profit international peace initiative was founded in 1988 by Italian psychologist and academic, Franco Vaccari.  It was inspired by the project called the World House, which hosts young people from countries where, currently or recently, conflicts have assumed violent forms. These young people accept to live with their own “enemy”, in order to learn how to face their conflict and turn it into an opportunity for change.  The World House programme lasts two years during which they experiment with innovation through conviviality, daily activities, non-formal and formal education.

"Speaking with you I discover that you come from areas full of tensions and conflicts and that this effort to build peace here is a beautiful thing,” Cardinal Parolin told the young people who participated in a year of training based on the so-called ‘Rondine Method’ and leadership. 

Making the Mediterranean a frontier of peace

Cardinal Parolin said he would carry their greetings to Pope Francis and talk to him about their commitment.  Among those he met on Tuesday were eleven young men and women chosen for the project "Mediterranean: the frontier of peace, education and reconciliation”, launched by the Italian Bishops' Conference in the southern Italian city of Bari in February 2020.  

“Despite the difficult past year we are very happy to have managed to come to Italy to work on our projects and to demonstrate that it is possible to live together and dialogue” said Amina, a young Bosnian woman, speaking on behalf of the young people of the Mediterranean.  She said that the projects that they will carry out back home in their countries will have as their objective dialogue, reconciliation and peace.  They will continue to develop their network for social cohesion in the Mediterranean which they are building at Rondine Cittadella della Pace.  

Cardinal Parolin stopped by Cittadella della Pace during his visit to Arezzo city, where he celebrated the local feast of Our Lady of Consolation, who is greatly revered in the city.  

On his historic visit to Iraq in March, Pope Francis hopes to encourage his Christian flock, badly bruised by sectarian conflict and brutal Islamic State attacks, while building further bridges to Muslims by extending fraternal peace.

The trip’s papal logo reflects this, depicting Pope Francis with Iraq’s notable Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a palm tree and a dove carrying an olive branch over the Vatican and Iraqi flags. The motto: “You are all brothers,” is written in Arabic, Chaldean and Kurdish languages.

The first-ever papal visit to the biblical land of Iraq March 5-8 is significant. For years, the pope has expressed his concerns publicly for the plight and persecution of Iraq’s Christians and its mosaic of many religious minorities, including the Yazidis, who have suffered at the hands of Islamic State militants and have been caught in the crosshairs of Sunni and Shiite Muslim violence.

Tensions persist between Iraq’s majority Shiite and minority Sunni Muslim communities, with the latter now feeling disenfranchised following the 2003 downfall of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim who marginalized Shiites for 24 years under his minority rule.

“I am the pastor of people who are suffering,” Pope Francis told Catholic News Service at the Vatican ahead of his visit.

Earlier, the pope said he hoped Iraq could “face the future through the peaceful and shared pursuit of the common good on the part of all elements of society, including the religious, and not fall back into hostilities sparked by the simmering conflicts of the regional powers.”

“The pope will come to say, ‘Enough, enough war, enough violence; seek peace and fraternity and the safeguarding of human dignity,'” said Cardinal Louis Sako, the Baghdad-based patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The cardinal reportedly has worked for several years to see the pope’s trip to Iraq come to fruition.

Pope Francis “will bring us two things: comfort and hope, which have been denied to us until now,” the cardinal said.

The majority of Iraq’s Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic Church. Others worship in the Syriac Catholic Church, while a modest number of belong to the Latin, Maronite, Greek, Coptic and Armenian churches. There are also non-Catholic churches like the Assyrian Church and Protestant denominations.

Once numbering about 1.5 million, hundreds of thousands of Christians fled sectarian violence after Saddam’s ouster as churches in Baghdad were bombed, kidnappings took place, and other sectarian attacks erupted.

They either headed north or left the country altogether. Christians were driven out of their ancestral homeland in the Ninevah Plain when Islamic State captured that region in 2014. A record number of Christians fled due to their atrocities until its liberation in 2017. Now, Christian numbers in Iraq have dwindled to about 150,000.

The uprooted Christian community, which claims an apostolic origin and still uses Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, is desperate to see its plight end.

Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Yousif Mirkis of Kirkuk estimates that between 40%-45% of the Christians “have returned to the some of their ancestral villages, particularly Qaraqosh.”

There, rebuilding of churches, homes and businesses is taking place mainly with funding from Catholic and other church institutions as well as the Hungarian and U.S. governments, rather than from Baghdad.

For years, Cardinal Sako has lobbied the Iraqi government, dominated by majority Shiite Muslim politicians, to treat Christians and other minorities as equal citizens with equal rights.

He also hopes that Pope Francis’ message of peace and fraternity in Iraq will cap the pontiff’s interfaith outreach to the Muslim world in recent years, now by extending a hand to Shiite Muslims.

“When the head of the church speaks to the Muslim world, we Christians are shown appreciation and respect,” Cardinal Sako said.

A meeting for Pope Francis with one of Shiite Islam’s most authoritative figures, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, is significant in the papal effort to embrace all of the Islamic world. The meeting has been confirmed by the Vatican.

Iraqi Dominican Father Ameer Jaje, an expert on Shiite relations, said a hope would be for Ayatollah al-Sistani to sign onto a document, “On Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” which calls for Christians and Muslims to work together for peace.

A highlight of Francis’ visit to the United Arab Emirates in February 2019 was the signing of the fraternity document together with Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University and the top authority in Sunni Islam.

Father Jaje told CNS by phone from Baghdad that “the meeting will certainly take place in Najaf, where al-Sistani is based.”

The city is 100 miles south of Baghdad, a center of Shiite Islam’s spiritual and political power as well as a pilgrimage site for Shiite adherents.

Long considered a force for stability despite his age of 90, Ayatollah al-Sistani’s loyalty is toward Iraq, as opposed to some co-religionists who look to Iran for backing. He supports the separation of religion and state affairs. In 2017 he also urged all Iraqis, regardless of their religious affiliation or ethnicity, to fight to get rid of Islamic State on behalf of their country.

Observers believe the pope’s meeting with the ayatollah could be highly symbolic for Iraqis, but especially Christians, for whom the encounter could turn a page in their country’s often fraught interfaith relations.

Pope to diplomats: Fraternity, the true remedy to crises and divisions

In his traditional encounter with the ambassadors to the Holy See, Pope Francis reflected on the numerous crises unleashed by the pandemic, and on other problems affecting the world, stressing that the fraternity is the true cure for them. 

Pope Francis met the ambassadors in the Hall of Benediction in St. Peter’s Basilica, maintaining health protocols. The traditional meeting, originally scheduled for January 25, had to be postponed because of the Pope’s sciatica pain. 

Despite the social distancing demanded by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Holy Father noted, their meeting “is meant to be a sign of hope . . . closeness and mutual support to which the family of nations should aspire”.  And in this spirit, he said, he was making his upcoming visit to Iraq in March.

The Holy Father then reviewed some of the crises provoked or laid bare by the pandemic and examined the opportunities they offer to build a more humane, just, supportive and peaceful world. 

Health crisis

The pandemic, the Pope said, has brought humanity face-to-face with two unavoidable dimensions of human existence: sickness and death. They remind us of the value of every individual human life and its dignity, from conception in the womb until its natural end. He lamented that a growing number of legal systems seem to be moving away from their inalienable duty to protect human life at every one of its phases.

The pandemic has reminded us of the right of each human being to dignified care, and that “each human person is an end in himself or herself, and never simply a means to be valued only for his or her usefulness”. “If we deprive the weakest among us of the right to life,” he asked, “how can we effectively guarantee respect for every other right?” He urged political and government leaders to work above all to ensure universal access to basic healthcare, medicines and treatment, pointing out that “concern for profit should not be guiding a field as sensitive as that of healthcare”. He called for an equitable distribution of the vaccines, based not on purely economic criteria but on the needs of all, especially of peoples most in need. In this regard, he urged that access to vaccines must be accompanied by responsible personal behaviour aimed at halting the spread of the virus, employing the necessary measures of prevention. 

Environmental crisis

The pandemic, the Pope continued, has also demonstrated once again that the earth itself is fragile and in need of care. The ecological crisis caused by the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, he pointed out, is much more complex and enduring, and requires shared long-term solutions. The impact of climate change, such as extreme weather events of flooding and drought, and malnutrition or respiratory disease, entail consequences that persist for a considerable time.

While stressing the need for international cooperation to overcome these crises of our common home, Pope Francis hopes that the November United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), will effectively address the consequences of climate change. 

In this regard, he recalled the repercussions of climate change on several regions of the world. Numerous small islands in the Pacific Ocean are in danger of gradually disappearing; while floods in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam and the Philippines, have caused many deaths and destroyed livelihoods; and increased temperatures have caused devastating fires in Australia and California.

In Africa, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger faced acute food insecurity last year with millions suffering from hunger. In South Sudan, where there is a risk of famine with over one million undrenourished children, the Pope urged the country’s authorities to overcome misunderstandings and pursue political dialogue for the sake of full national reconciliation.

Economic and social crises

The restrictions on freedom of movement imposed by governments to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Pope said, have especially harmed medium-sized and small businesses, adversely affecting employment and consequently the life of families and entire sectors of society, especially those that are most fragile. This economic crisis, he noted, has highlighted another illness of our time: that of an economy based on the exploitation and waste of both people and natural resources. What is needed is an economy that is “at the service of men and women, not vice versa”, an economy that “brings life, not death, one that is inclusive and not exclusive, humane and not dehumanizing, one that cares for the environment and does not despoil it”.

Victims of isolation and closed borders

The pandemic, the Pope continued, has particularly hit those in the informal job sector, with many of them exposed to exploitation through illegal or forced labour, prostitution and various criminal activities, including human trafficking. Economic stability, the Pope said, must be ensured for all, so as to avoid the scourge of exploitation and to combat usury, corruption and other injustices. With longer hours before computers and other media due to the isolation, the poor and unemployed are rendered more vulnerable to cybercrime, including fraud, trafficking in persons, prostitution and child pornography. 

Pope Francis also noted that the closing of borders due to the pandemic, combined with the economic crisis, have also aggravated a number of humanitarian emergencies, such as those in Sudan, sub-Saharan Africa, Mozambique, Yemen and Syria. With regard to economic sanctions on countries, he said, they affect mainly the more vulnerable segments of the population rather than political leaders. He hoped that they will be relaxed with an improved flow of humanitarian aid.

He hoped, too, that the current crisis be an occasion for forgiving, or at least reducing, the debt that burdens poorer countries and prevents their recovery and development.

Migrants and refugees

Speaking about the increased number of migrants and their worsening conditions last year because of closed borders, Pope Francis calls for addressing the root causes that force people to migrate and supporting the countries that host them. 

The Holy Father also noted the dramatic increase in the number of refugees and called for renewed commitment to protect them, together with internally displaced persons and the many vulnerable people forced to flee from persecution, violence, conflicts and wars.  In the central region of the Sahel, he noted, the number of internally displaced persons has increased twentyfold.

Crisis of politics

Pope Francis also noted that political crises have worsened in some countries during the pandemic, such as in Myanmar.  While expressing his closeness to the people of the nation, he lamented that that “the path to democracy undertaken in recent years was brusquely interrupted” by the recent coup. He hoped that the detained political leaders “will be promptly released as a sign of encouragement for a sincere dialogue aimed at the good of the country”.

“The democratic process,” he said, “calls for pursuing the path of inclusive, peaceful, constructive and respectful dialogue among all the components of civil society in every city and nation.” This crisis of politics and of democratic values, he pointed out, is also on the international level, with repercussions on the entire multilateral system. But he also noted encouraging signs such as  progress in the prohibition of nuclear weapons and in arms reduction. 

In this context, the Pope wished that 2021 be the year of the end of the Syrian conflict, of the resumption of direct dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, of stability in Lebanon and of peace in Libya. He expressed concern over the situation in the Central African Republic and in Latin America in general, where, he said, political and social tensions are rooted in profound inequalities, injustices and poverty that offend the dignity of persons. He also expressed concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the South Caucasus.

Terrorism

Pope Francis also expressed concern over the scourge of terrorism, whose attacks, he said, have intensified in the last 20 years, with Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia as well as Europe experiencing it. He particularly regretted attacks on places of worship and reminded authorities of their duty to protect places of worship and defend freedom of thought, conscience and religion. 

Crisis of human relationships

According to the Pope, the most serious crisis of them all is that of "human relationship".  It is "the expression of a general anthropological crisis, dealing with the very conception of the human person and his or her transcendent dignity."  He expressed his conviction that "fraternity is the true cure for the pandemic and the many evils that have affected us ".  "Along with vaccines, fraternity and hope are, as it were, the medicine we need in today’s world,” the Pope said.

The isolation and often loneliness due to the pandemic, he said, have brought out the need of every individual for human relationships. With schools and universities shifting to online educational platforms, a marked disparity in educational and technological opportunities has appeared, with many students falling behind in the natural process of schooling. Calling it a “sort of ‘educational catastrophe’”, he called for a renewed commitment to an education that engages society at every level, because education is a natural antidote to the individualistic culture and indifference.

Marriage and family life, the Pope noted, have also been affected, with many experiencing domestic violence. The pandemic has also had adverse effects on fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, with restrictions in public worship and in the educational and charitable activities of faith communities. “Even as we seek ways to protect human lives from the spread of the virus, the Pope said, “we cannot view the spiritual and moral dimension of the human person as less important than physical health.” 

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Excerpt:

Our meeting this morning takes place in the more spacious Hall of Blessings, in order to respect the need for greater personal distancing demanded by the pandemic. Yet this distancing is merely physical. Today’s meeting speaks of something very different: it is a sign of the closeness and mutual support to which the family of nations should aspire. In this time of pandemic, the need for such closeness is all the more important, for it is clear that the virus knows no barriers nor can it easily be isolated. Overcoming it is thus a duty incumbent on each of us, as well as our countries.

I am most grateful for your daily efforts to foster relations between the countries or international organizations that you represent and the Holy See. We have been able to exchange many signs of our closeness to one another in the course of these past months, thanks also to the deployment of new technologies that have enabled us to surmount the limitations imposed by the pandemic.

All of us certainly look forward to resuming personal contacts as quickly as possible, and our gathering here today is meant to be a sign of hope in this regard.  I myself wish to resume my Apostolic Visits, beginning with that to Iraq scheduled for this coming March. These Visits are an important sign of the solicitude of the Successor of Peter for God’s People spread throughout the world and the dialogue of the Holy See with states. They also frequently provide an opportunity to promote, in a spirit of sharing and dialogue, good relations between the different religions. In our time, interreligious dialogue is an important component of the encounter between peoples and cultures. When it is viewed not in terms of compromising our own identity but as an occasion of mutual understanding and enrichment, dialogue can become an opportunity for religious leaders and the followers of different confessions, and can support the responsible efforts of political leaders to promote the common good.

Equally important are international agreements that foster mutual trust and enable the Church to cooperate more effectively in the spiritual and social well-being of your countries. In this regard, I would mention the exchange of instruments of ratification of the Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Agreement on the legal status of the Catholic Church in Burkina Faso, as well as the signing of the Seventh Additional Agreement of the 23 June 1960 Convention Regulating Patrimonial Relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Austria. Additionally, on 22 October 2020, the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China agreed to extend for another two years the Provisional Agreement regarding the Appointment of Bishops in China, signed in Beijing in 2018. The agreement is essentially pastoral in nature, and the Holy See is confident that the process now begun can be pursued in a spirit of mutual respect and trust, and thus further contribute to the resolution of questions of common interest.

Download the full address above.

Human Fraternity Day online event highlights need for solidarity

By Vatican News staff writer

The first-ever International Day of Human Fraternity, commemorated on Thursday, was marked with a virtual event which saw the participation of Pope Francis and several other personalities, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi – the host of the online event – the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and other personalities.

One part of the celebration was the presentation of the 2021 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Moroccan-French activist and founder of the Imad Association for Youth and Peace, Latifah Ibn Ziaten.

Inspired by the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity recognizes individuals who are committed to fostering conditions for peaceful co-existence.

Both Pope Francis and Ahmad Al-Tayyeb signed the Document on Human Fraternity during their historic meeting in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019. The Document also inspired the creation of the Higher Committee on Human Fraternity dedicated to realizing the intentions of the document.

A celebration of peace and fraternity

Explaining the significance of the celebration, Judge Mohammed Abdel Salam, the Secretary-General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, said that the UN resolution to declare 4 February – the date of the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity - as the International Day of Human Fraternity is upheld by Thursday’s celebrations.

He urged young people to dream, to have hope, and to “think about the future with a smile.” He added that we are before the historic Zayed award, to which we all belong and which belongs to us.

Speaking on fraternity and the importance of the Abu Dhabi document, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, primate of the Anglican Communion, said it is “an inspiring document that points to what we can do together and calls us to act in solidarity for one another.” He added that “it is friendship that matters in changing what we do”, and prayed that we may develop such friendships so that we may work together.

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, said “the more we see each other from afar, the more we see our differences, but the more we look each other in the eye, the more we see our reflection – our common humanity.”

“Dialogue sparks understanding, understanding inspires tolerance, and tolerance leads to respect.” This virtuous chain, Michel continued, “can make peace and fraternity possible”.

Voices of truth bring hope to people

Addressing both Pope Francis and the Grand Imam, Judge Abdel Salam said the Higher Committee has followed their efforts of service to humanity which inspire hope. He expressed happiness as the world celebrates the first-ever International Day of Human Fraternity.

“Your voice that always speaks the truth brings hope to all people,” he said. “At the same time, it encourages millions around the world to walk the same path. In this regard, those voices are highlighted and their owners appreciated through this global initiative represented by the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity."

4 February: an alarm bell for the world

The Grand Imam, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, highlighted that the Document on Human Fraternity calls for cooperation, an end to wars and the promotion of tolerance and harmony.

He expressed hope that the annual celebration of this International Day would be “an alarm bell for the world and its leaders,” urging them to “entrench the principles of human fraternity.”

The Grand Imam went on to reaffirm his resolve to continue working for peace, alongside other proponents for peace, noting that for the Document on Human Fraternity to become lived reality we need determination and the firm belief that “people are all brothers who have the right to live in peace” in spite of the diversity between them.

Fraternity: a new frontier for humanity

Pope Francis stressed the importance of committing to fraternity, because “it is the new frontier of humanity.” He stressed that we are all brothers and sisters and as such, “there is no time for indifference” because we are either brothers and sisters “or everything falls apart.”

Fraternity, the Pope continued, “means an outstretched hand. Fraternity means respect. Fraternity means listening with an open heart. Fraternity means firmness in one’s own convictions” because “there is no true fraternity if one’s convictions are negotiated.

Working for unity despite challenges

In his acceptance speech, Zayed award recipient and UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, expressed his gratitude, seeing it also as a recognition of the work of the UN in promoting peace and human dignity in the world.

He highlighted that despite the challenges of the times, including the ongoing pandemic, climate change and other threats from war and conflict, racism, violent extremism and discrimination, the leadership of the Pope and the Grand Imam continue to push humankind to come together in unity, in dialogue, to promote peace and fraternity.

Guterres reiterated the UN’s willingness to assist to amplify efforts towards promoting human unity and global peace.

We must break barriers of hatred

The second 2021 Zayed Award honoree - civil society activist and founder of the Imad Association for Youth and Peace - Latifah Ibn Ziaten also expressed her gratitude for the award.

She noted that the recognition would be of great help in her work of reaching out to many children, protecting them from “falling into hatred.” She added that even though she lost her son, and she carries a deep wound that will never be healed, she is now “a second mother” to so many other children.

“As I say to every child," she added, “if we can break the barriers in our hearts, we’ll find our place in society and we’ll all be brothers. But we must really break these barriers.”

Pope Francis on Human Fraternity: We are all born of the same Father

By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis marked the first-ever International Day of Human Fraternity on Thursday, in a virtual event hosted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, with the participation of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and other personalities.

During the occasion, the Holy Father, in words prepared for the occasion, expressed his gratitude to those who had contributed to the promotion of fraternity in spite of the challenges.

“Sisters and brothers - that is the word,” the Pope said. “Sisters and brothers to affirm fraternity in a special way to you, my brother, my friend, my companion of challenges and risks in the struggle for fraternity.”

The Pope offered special recognition to the Grand Imam, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, for his testimony and collaboration in writing the document presented two years ago. Pope Francis also expressed his gratitude to the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, for his belief in the project, and Judge Abdel Salam for his active participation in its advancement.

“Thank you all for committing to fraternity,” Pope Francis said, “because today fraternity is the new frontier of humanity. Either we are brothers, or we destroy each other.”

Not a time for indifference

Pope Francis went on to insist that “today, there is no time for indifference” and “we cannot wash our hands” of the present situation with distance, disregard and contempt. He affirmed that we are either brothers and sisters, “or everything falls apart,” adding that this is the frontier on which we have to build - “the challenge of our century and the challenge of our times.”

Fraternity, the Pope continued, “means an outstretched hand. Fraternity means respect. Fraternity means listening with an open heart. Fraternity means firmness in one’s own convictions” because “there is no true fraternity if one’s convictions are negotiated.”

Brothers and sisters despite differences

Pope Francis also emphasized that despite differences in cultures and traditions, we are brothers and sisters, "born of the same Father.” In this regard, fraternity must be built, not by negotiation, but through respect for our different cultures and traditions.

“It is the moment of listening. It is the moment of sincere acceptance. It is the moment of certainty that a world without brothers is a world of enemies,” the Pope said.

He further underscored that “we cannot say we are either brothers or not brothers,” stressing rather that “we are either brothers or enemies” because indifference is “a very subtle form of enmity.”

“We do not need to be at war to be enemies, disregarding each other is enough,” the Pope said, adding that it is time to stop the attitude of looking the other way and ignoring others as if they did not exist.

2021 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity

A part of the celebrations for the International Day of Human Fraternity is the presentation of the 2021 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Moroccan-French activist, Latifa Ibn Ziaten.

Addressing the UN Secretary-General, Pope Francis congratulated him for the award and expressed gratitude for his efforts towards promoting peace “that will only be achieved with a fraternal heart.”

Directing his attention towards the second 2021 Zayed Award honoree, Latifa Ibn Ziaten, the Pope acknowledged her inspiring testimony of painfully losing a child yet channeling her pain towards fostering love and fraternity.

“Yes, sister, your words are not hearsay or a conventional ‘we are all brothers’: they are a conviction. A conviction embodied in pain, in your wounds,” the Pope said.

“Thank you for your testimony," said Pope Francis. "And thank you for being the mother of your son, of so many boys and girls, for being the mother today of this humanity that is listening to you and learns from you: either the path of fraternity, of brotherhood, or we lose everything.”

The Pope of Rome, the Grand Imam of Cairo, and the official World Day of Fraternity

4 February has entered the world’s calendar of significant commemorations.

On that day in 2019, during his apostolic journey to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis co-signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together along with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar (Cairo), Ahmad Al-Tayyeb. This Document raises the great themes which, 20 months later, would be taken up and developed in the Encyclical Fratelli tutti.

The unprecedented encounter in Abu Dhabi soon inspired the creation of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity. The members, an international group of religious and cultural leaders and scholars, are dedicated to sharing the Document’s message of mutual understanding leading to peace. The Committee plans to establish an Abrahamic Family House with a synagogue, a church and a mosque facing each other around a commons on Saadiyat Island in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

On 21 December 2020, the United Nations General Assembly designated 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity. In the January 2021 edition of the Pope Video, titled “At the service of human fraternity,” the Holy Father highlights the importance of focusing on what is essential to the beliefs of all religions: worship of God and love of neighbour. “Fraternity leads us to open ourselves to the Father of all and to see in the other a brother, a sister, to share life, or to support one another, to love, to know.”

The Holy See’s planning for this inaugural International Day of Human Fraternity has taken place under the leadership of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The Council was created in 1964 by Pope Paul VI to work on relations and dialogue between the Catholic Church and the faithful of other religions. It holds interreligious meetings, publishes a variety of materials, and collaborates with bishops and episcopal conferences on matters related to interreligious dialogue. Here is the first IDHF video in various languages.

Today, 4 February, Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb are participating virtually in an event hosted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, with the participation of United Nations Secretary-General António Guteres and other personalities. The event is being broadcast on Vatican News at 8:30 a.m. (EST).

Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, says the celebration “responds to a clear call that Pope Francis has been making to all humanity to build a present of peace in the encounter with the other.” He adds that “in October 2020, that invitation became even more vivid with the Encyclical Fratelli tutti” and comments that “these meetings are a way to achieve true social friendship, as the Holy Father asks of us.”

Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, secretary general of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity agrees with this perspective. In his presentation at the conference launching Fratelli tutti, he remarked that “In this decisive phase of human history, we are at a crossroads: on the one hand, universal fraternity in which humanity rejoices, and on the other, an acute misery that will increase the suffering and deprivation of people.”

In the future, starting in 2022, with the experience of this first celebration of the International Day of Human Fraternity and with more time to prepare, the local Churches will be encouraged and helped to participate actively with intercultural and interreligious events marking this date.

At yesterday’s weekly audience, Pope Francis said: "I am very pleased that the nations of the entire world are joining in this celebration, aimed at promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue… The U.N. resolution recognizes 'the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind.' May this be our prayer today and our commitment every day of the year."

3 February 2021

Appeal by the Holy Father

At the end of the general audience, Pope Francis made the following appeal:

Tomorrow marks the First International Day of Human Fraternity, established by a recent Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. This initiative also takes note of the meeting on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, when the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyib and I signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. I am very pleased that the nations of the entire world are joining in this celebration, aimed at promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Tomorrow afternoon, I will take part in a virtual meeting with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, with the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres, and other leaders. The UN Resolution recognizes “the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind”. May this be our prayer today and our commitment every day of the year. Translation from Italian [00150-EN.01]  

Traduzione in lingua francese 

Demain sera célébrée la Première Journée Internationale de la Fraternité Humaine, comme l’a établi une récente Résolution de l’Assemblée Générale des Nations Unies. Cette initiative tient compte aussi de la rencontre du 4 février 2019 à Abu Dhabi, lorsque moi-même et le Grand Imam d’Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, nous avons signé le Document sur la fraternité humaine pour la paix mondiale et la coexistence commune. Je suis très heureux que les Nations du monde entier s’unissent dans cette célébration, visant à promouvoir le dialogue interreligieux et interculturel. C’est pourquoi demain après-midi je participerai à une rencontre virtuelle avec le Grand Imam d’Al-Azhar, avec le Secrétaire Général des Nations Unies, Monsieur António Guterres, et avec d’autres personnalités. La Résolution susmentionnée de l’ONU reconnaît « la contribution que le dialogue entre tous les groupes religieux peut apporter pour améliorer la conscience et la compréhension des valeurs communes partagées par toute l’humanité ». Que ce soit aujourd’hui notre prière et que ce soit notre engagement chaque jour de l’année.

lingua italiano (original)
Domani si celebrerà la Prima Giornata Internazionale della Fratellanza Umana, come stabilito da una recente Risoluzione dell’Assemblea Generale delle Nazioni Unite. Tale iniziativa tiene conto anche dell’incontro del 4 febbraio 2019 ad Abu Dhabi, quando io e il Grande Imam di Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, abbiamo firmato il Documento sulla Fratellanza Umana per la pace mondiale e la convivenza comune. Sono molto lieto che le Nazioni del mondo intero si uniscano in questa celebrazione, volta a promuovere il dialogo interreligioso e interculturale. Perciò domani pomeriggio parteciperò a un incontro virtuale con il Grande Imam di Al-Azhar, con il Segretario Generale delle Nazioni Unite, Signor António Guterres, e con altre personalità. La citata Risoluzione dell’ONU riconosce «il contributo che il dialogo tra tutti i gruppi religiosi può apportare per migliorare la consapevolezza e la comprensione dei valori comuni condivisi da tutta l’umanità». Che questa sia oggi la nostra preghiera e che sia il nostro impegno ogni giorno dell’anno.  

Traduzione in lingua spagnola 
Mañana se celebrará la Primera Jornada Internacional de la Fraternidad Humana, que estableció recientemente una Resolución de la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas. Esta iniciativa también tiene en cuenta el encuentro del 4 de febrero de 2019 en Abu Dhabi, cuando el Gran Imán de Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, y yo firmamos el Documento sobre la Fraternidad humana para la paz mundial y la convivencia común. Me complace mucho que las naciones de todo el mundo se unan a esta celebración, destinada a promover el diálogo interreligioso e intercultural. Por ello, mañana por la tarde participaré en un encuentro virtual con el Gran Imán de Al-Azhar, con el Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas, Sr. António Guterres, y con otras personalidades. La citada Resolución de la ONU reconoce «la contribución que el diálogo entre todos los grupos religiosos puede aportar para que se conozcan y se comprendan mejor los valores comunes compartidos por toda la humanidad». Que esta sea nuestra oración hoy y nuestro compromiso durante todos los días del año.

Traduzione in lingua portoghese 
Celebra-se amanhã o primeiro Dia Internacional da Fraternidade Humana, como estabelecido numa recente Resolução da Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas. Esta iniciativa teve em conta também o encontro de 4 de fevereiro de 2019, em Abu Dhabi, quando eu e o Grande Imã de Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, assinamos o Documento sobre a Fraternidade Humana em prol da paz mundial e da convivência comum. Muito me alegra ver as nações do mundo inteiro unidas nesta celebração, que visa promover o diálogo inter-religioso e intercultural. Por isso, amanhã de tarde, tomarei parte num encontro virtual com o Grande Imã de Al-Azhar, o Secretário-Geral das Nações Unidas, António Guterres, e outras personalidades. A referida Resolução da ONU reconhece «a contribuição que o diálogo entre todos os grupos religiosos pode prestar para melhorar a consciência e a compreensão dos valores comuns partilhados por toda a humanidade». Por esta intenção, seja a nossa oração de hoje e o nosso compromisso de todos os dias do ano.

[VIDEO_5]

Pope Francis Prayer for Fraternity

January 2021

Click on the link to launch the video:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-01/pope-s-january-prayer-intention-at-the-service-of-fraternity.html

ANGELUS OF POPE FRANCIS - JANUARY 1, 2021

Dear brothers and sisters, good afternoon and happy New Year!

We begin this year placing ourselves under the maternal and loving gaze of Mary Most Holy, celebrated in today’s liturgy as Mother of God. Thus we take up once again the journey along the paths of history, entrusting our anxieties and our torments to her who can do everything. Mary watches over us with maternal tenderness just as she watched over her Son Jesus, and if we look at the Nativity Scene, we see that Jesus is not in the crib,and they told me that the Madonna said: “Won’t you let me hold this Son of mine a bit in my arms?” This is what the Madonna does with us: she wants to hold us in her harms to protect us as she protected and loved her Son. The reassuring and comforting gaze of the Holy Virgin is an encouragement to make sure that this time, granted us by the Lord, might be spent for our human and spiritual growth, that it be a time in which hatred and division are resolved, and there are many, that it be a time to experience ourselves as brothers and sisters, a time to build and not to destroy, to take care of each other and of creation. A time to make things grow a time of peace.

It is specifically regarding the care of our neighbours and of creation that the theme for the World Day of Peace, which we celebrate today, is dedicated: A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace. The painful events that marked humanity’s journey last year, especially the pandemic, taught us how much it is necessary to take an interest in others’ problems and to share their concerns. This attitude represents the path that leads to peace, because it fosters the construction of a society founded on fraternal relationships. Each of us, men and women of this time, is called to make peace happen, each one of us, we are not indifferent to this. We are called to make peace happen each day and in every place we live, taking those brothers and sisters by the hand who need a comforting word, a tender gesture, solidary help. This is a task given us by God. The Lord has given us the task of being peacemakers.

And peace can become a reality if we begin to be in peace with ourselves – at peace inside, in our hearts – and with ourselves, and with those who are near us, removing the obstacles that prevent us from taking care of those who find themselves in need and in indigence. It means developing a mentality and a culture of “care taking” to defeat indifference, to defeat rejection and rivalry – indifference, rejection, rivalry which unfortunately prevail. To remove these attitudes. And thus, peace is not only the absence of war, peace is never sterile: no, peace does not exist in a quirofano (an operating room). Peace is within life: it is not only the absence of war, but is a life rich in meaning, rooted in and lived through personal realisation and fraternal sharing with others. Then that peace, so longed for and always endangered by violence, by egoism and evil, that peace that is endangered might become possible and achievable if I take it as a task given to me by God.

May the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the “Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6), and who cuddles him thus, with such tenderness in her arms, obtain for us from heaven the precious gift of peace, which cannot be fully pursued with human force alone. Human force is not enough because peace is above all a gift, a gift to be implored from God with incessant prayer, sustained with patient and respectful dialogue, constructed with an open collaboration with truth and justice and always attentive to the legitimate aspirations of individuals and peoples. My hope is that peace might reign in the hearts of men and women and in families, in recreational and work places, in communities and in nations. In families, at work, in nations: peace, peace. Now is time to think that life today is organised around war, and enmities, by many things that destroy. We want peace. And this is a gift.

On the threshold of this beginning, I extend to everyone my heart-felt greetings for a happy and serene 2021. May each one of us make sure that it be for everyone a year of fraternal solidarity and peace, a year filled with expectant trust and hope, which we entrust to the heavenly protection of Mary, Mother of God and our Mother.

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE
 FRANCIS
  FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
 54th WORLD DAY OF PEACE

1 JANUARY 2021

A CULTURE OF CARE AS A PATH TO PEACE

1. At the dawn of a new year, I extend cordial greetings to Heads of State and Government, leaders of International Organizations, spiritual leaders and followers of the different religions, and to men and women of good will. To all I offer my best wishes that the coming year will enable humanity to advance on the path of fraternity, justice and peace between individuals, communities, peoples and nations.

The year 2020 was marked by the massive Covid-19 health crisis, which became a global phenomenon cutting across boundaries, aggravating deeply interrelated crises like those of the climate, food, the economy and migration, and causing great suffering and hardship. I think especially of all those who lost family members or loved ones, and all who lost their jobs. I think too of physicians and nurses, pharmacists, researchers, volunteers, chaplains and the personnel of hospitals and healthcare centres.  They have made, and are continuing to make, great sacrifices to be present to the sick, to alleviate their sufferings and to save their lives; indeed, many of them have died in the process. In paying tribute to them, I renew my appeal to political leaders and the private sector to spare no effort to ensure access to Covid-19 vaccines and to the essential technologies needed to care for the sick, the poor and those who are most vulnerable.[1]

Sad to say, alongside all these testimonies of love and solidarity, we have also seen a surge in various forms of nationalism, racism and xenophobia, and wars and conflicts that bring only death and destruction in their wake.

These and other events that marked humanity’s path this past year have taught us how important it is to care for one another and for creation in our efforts to build a more fraternal society. That is why I have chosen as the title of this year’s Message, A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace. A culture of care as a way to combat the culture of indifference, waste and confrontation so prevalent in our time.

2. God the Creator, the source of our human vocation to care

Many religious traditions have accounts of the origin of human beings and their relationship with the Creator, with nature and with their fellow men and women. In the Bible, the Book of Genesis shows from its very first pages the importance of care or protection in God’s plan for humanity. It highlights the relationship between man (’adam) and the earth (’adamah), and among ourselves as brothers and sisters. In the biblical account of creation, God entrusts the garden “planted in Eden” (cf. Gen 2:8) to Adam’s care, to “till it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). This entails making the earth productive, while at the same time protecting it and preserving its capacity to support life.[2] The verbs “till” and “keep” describe Adam’s relationship to his garden home, but also the trust God placed in him by making him master and guardian of all creation.

The birth of Cain and Abel begins a history of brothers and sisters, whose relationship is understood – even by Cain, however mistakenly – in terms of protection or “keeping”. After killing his brother Abel, Cain answers God’s question by saying: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen 4:9).[3] Cain, like all of us, was called to be “his brother’s keeper”. “These ancient stories, full of symbolism, bear witness to a conviction which we today share, that everything is interconnected, and that genuine care for our own lives and our relationship with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others”.[4]

3. God the Creator, a model of care

Sacred Scripture presents God not only as Creator, but also as one who cares for his creatures, especially Adam, Eve and their offspring. Albeit cursed for the crime he committed, Cain was given a mark of protection by the Creator, so that his life could be spared (cf. Gen 4:15). While confirming the inviolable dignity of the person created in God’s image and likeness, this was also a sign of God’s plan to preserve the harmony of his creation, since “peace and violence cannot dwell together”.[5]

Care for creation was at the heart of the institution of the Sabbath, which, in addition to ordering divine worship, aimed at the restoration of the social order and concern for the poor (cf. Gen 1:1-3; Lev 25:4). The celebration of the Jubilee every seventh sabbatical year provided a respite for the land, for slaves and for those in debt.  In that year of grace, those in greatest need were cared for and given a new chance in life, so that there would be no poor among the people (cf. Deut 15:4).

In the prophetic tradition, the biblical understanding of justice found its highest expression in the way a community treats its weakest members. Amos (cf. 2:6-8; 8) and Isaiah (cf. 58), in particular, insistently demand justice for the poor, who, in their vulnerability and powerlessness, cry out and are heard by God, who watches over them (cf. Ps 34:7; 113:7-8).

4. Care in the ministry of Jesus

Jesus’ life and ministry represent the supreme revelation of the Father’s love for humanity (cf. Jn 3:16). In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus showed himself to be the one consecrated by the Lord and “sent to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Lk 4:18). These messianic actions, associated with the Jubilee year, bear eloquent witness to the mission he received from the Father. In his compassion, Christ drew near to the sick in body and spirit, and brought them healing; he pardoned sinners and gave them new life. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep (cf. Jn 10:11-18; Ezek 34:1-31). He is the Good Samaritan who stoops to help the injured man, binds his wounds and cares for him (cf. Lk 10:30-37).

At the culmination of his mission, Jesus gave the ultimate proof of his care for us by offering himself on the cross to set us free from the slavery of sin and death. By the sacrificial gift of his life, he opened for us the path of love. To each of us he says, “Follow me; go and do likewise” (cf. Lk 10:37).

5. A culture of care in the life of Jesus’ followers

The spiritual and corporal works of mercy were at the heart of charity as practised by the early Church. The first generation of Christians shared what they had, so that no one among them would be in need (cf. Acts 4:34-35). They strove to make their community a welcoming home, concerned for every human need and ready to care for those most in need. It became customary to make voluntary offerings in order to feed the poor, bury the dead and care for orphans, the elderly and victims of disasters like shipwrecks. In later times, when the generosity of Christians had lost its initial fervour, some Fathers of the Church insisted that property was meant by God for the common good. For Saint Ambrose, “nature poured out all things for the common use of all…  and thus produced a common right for all, but greed has made it a right for only a few”.[6] After the persecutions of the first centuries, the Church used her newfound freedom to inspire society and its culture. “The needs of the times called forth new efforts in the service of Christian charity. History records innumerable examples of practical works of mercy… The Church’s work among the poor was to a great extent highly organized. There arose many institutions for the relief of every human need: hospitals, poor houses, orphanages, foundling homes, shelters for travelers ...”[7]

6. The principles of the Church’s social doctrine as the basis for a culture of care

The diakonia of the Church’s origins, enriched by the reflection of the Fathers and enlivened over the centuries by the active charity of many luminous witnesses to the faith, became the beating heart of the Church’s social doctrine.  This doctrine is offered to all people of good will as a precious patrimony of principles, criteria and proposals that can serve as a “grammar” of care: commitment to promoting the dignity of each human person, solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, the pursuit of the common good and concern for protection of creation.

Care as promotion of the dignity and rights of each person

“The very concept of the person, which originated and developed in Christianity, fosters the pursuit of a fully human development. Person always signifies relationship, not individualism; it affirms inclusion, not exclusion, unique and inviolable dignity, not exploitation”.[8] Each human person is an end in himself or herself, and never simply a means to be valued only for his or her usefulness. Persons are created to live together in families, communities and societies, where all are equal in dignity. Human rights derive from this dignity, as do human duties, like the responsibility to welcome and assist the poor, the sick, the excluded, every one of our “neighbours, near or far in space and time”.[9]

Care for the common good

Every aspect of social, political and economic life achieves its fullest end when placed at the service of the common good, in other words, “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfilment more fully and more easily”.[10] Consequently, our plans and projects should always take into account their effects on the entire human family, and consider their consequences for the present and for coming generations. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us the truth and timeliness of this fact.  In the face of the pandemic, “we have realized that we are in the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together”,[11] since “no one reaches salvation by themselves”[12] and no state can ensure the common good of its population if it remains isolated.[13]

Care through solidarity

Solidarity concretely expresses our love for others, not as a vague sentiment but as a “firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all”.[14] Solidarity helps us to regard others – whether as individuals or, more broadly, as peoples or nations – as more than mere statistics, or as a means to be used and then discarded once no longer useful, but as our neighbours, companions on our journey, called like ourselves to partake of the banquet of life to which all are equally invited by God.

Care and protection of creation

The Encyclical Laudato Si’ is fully aware that all creation is interconnected. It also highlights our need to listen to the cry of the poor and, at the same time, to the cry of creation. Constant and attentive listening leads in turn to effective care for the earth, our common home, and for our brothers and sisters in need. Here I would once again point out that “a sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be authentic if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings”.[15] “Peace, justice and care for creation are three inherently connected questions, which cannot be separated in such a way as to be treated individually, lest we fall back into reductionism”.[16]

7. A compass pointing to a common path

At a time dominated by a culture of waste, faced with growing inequalities both within and between nations,[17] I urge government leaders and those of international organizations, business leaders, scientists, communicators and educators, to take up these principles as a “compass” capable of pointing out a common direction and ensuring “a more humane future”[18] in the process of globalization. This will enable us to esteem the value and dignity of every person, to act together in solidarity for the common good, and to bring relief to those suffering from poverty, disease, slavery, armed conflicts, and discrimination. I ask everyone to take this compass in hand and to become a prophetic witness of the culture of care, working to overcome the many existing social inequalities. This can only come about through a widespread and meaningful involvement on the part of women, in the family and in every social, political and institutional sphere.

The compass of these social principles, so essential for the growth of a culture of care, also points to the need for relationships between nations to be inspired by fraternity, mutual respect, solidarity and the observance of international law. In this regard, we must recognize the need to defend and promote fundamental human rights, which are inalienable, universal and indivisible.[19]

Likewise urgent is the need to respect humanitarian law, especially at this time when conflicts and wars continue uninterrupted. Tragically, many regions and communities can no longer remember a time when they dwelt in security and peace. Numerous cities have become epicentres of insecurity: citizens struggle to maintain their normal routine in the face of indiscriminate attacks by explosives, artillery and small arms. Children are unable to study. Men and women cannot work to support their families. Famine is spreading in places where it was previously unknown. People are being forced to take flight, leaving behind not only their homes but also their family history and their cultural roots.

While such conflicts have many causes, the result is always the same: destruction and humanitarian crises. We need to stop and ask ourselves what has led our world to see conflict as something normal, and how our hearts can be converted and our ways of thinking changed, in order to work for true peace in solidarity and fraternity.

How many resources are spent on weaponry, especially nuclear weapons,[20] that could be used for more significant priorities such as ensuring the safety of individuals, the promotion of peace and integral human development, the fight against poverty, and the provision of health care. Global problems like the present Covid-19 pandemic and climate change have only made these challenges all the more evident. What a courageous decision it would be to “establish a ‘Global Fund’ with the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures, in order to permanently eliminate hunger and contribute to the development of the poorest countries”![21]

8. Educating for a culture of care

Promoting a culture of care calls for a process of education. The “compass” of social principles can prove useful and reliable in a variety of interrelated contexts. Let me offer a few examples:

- Educating people to care begins in the family, the natural and fundamental nucleus of society, in which we learn how to live and relate to others in a spirit of mutual respect. Yet families need to be empowered to carry out this vital and indispensable task.

- Together with the family, schools and universities – and, in some respects, the communications media – are also responsible for education.[22] They are called to pass on a system of values based on the recognition of the dignity of each person, each linguistic, ethnic and religious community and each people, as well as the fundamental rights arising from that recognition. Education is one of the pillars of a more just and fraternal society.

- Religions in general, and religious leaders in particular, can play an indispensable role in handing on to their followers, and to society at large, the values of solidarity, respect for differences, and concern for our brothers and sisters in need. Here I think of the words spoken in 1969 by Pope Paul VI to the Ugandan Parliament: “Have no fear of the Church; she honours you, she educates honest and loyal citizens for you, she does not foment rivalries and divisions, she seeks to promote healthy liberty, social justice, and peace. If she has any preference at all, it is for the poor, for the education of little ones and of the people, for the care of the suffering and abandoned”.[23]

- Once more I encourage all those engaged in public service and in international organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, and all those others who in various ways are involved in the areas of education and research, to work towards the goal of a “more open and inclusive education, involving patient listening, constructive dialogue and better mutual understanding”.[24] It is my hope that this appeal, made in the context of the Global Compact on Education, will be broadly acknowledged and accepted.

9. There can be no peace without a culture of care

The culture of care thus calls for a common, supportive and inclusive commitment to protecting and promoting the dignity and good of all, a willingness to show care and compassion, to work for reconciliation and healing, and to advance mutual respect and acceptance. As such, it represents a privileged path to peace. “In many parts of the world, there is a need for paths of peace to heal open wounds. There is also a need for peacemakers, men and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter”.[25]

At a time like this, when the barque of humanity, tossed by the storm of the current crisis, struggles to advance towards a calmer and more serene horizon, the “rudder” of human dignity and the “compass” of fundamental social principles can enable us together to steer a sure course. As Christians, we should always look to Our Lady, Star of the Sea and Mother of Hope. May we work together to advance towards a new horizon of love and peace, of fraternity and solidarity, of mutual support and acceptance. May we never yield to the temptation to disregard others, especially those in greatest need, and to look the other way;[26] instead, may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, “to form a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another”.[27]

From the Vatican, 8 December 2020

Franciscus

[1] Cf. Video Message to the Seventy-fifth Meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations, 25 September 2020.

[2] Cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 67.

[3] Cf. “Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace”, Message for the 2014 World Day of Peace (8 December 2013), 2.

[4] Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 70.

[5] PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 488.

[6] De Officiis, 1, 28, 132: PL 16, 67.

[7] K. BIHLMEYER-H. TÜCHLE, Church History, vol. 1, Westminster, The Newman Press, 1958, pp. 373, 374.

[8] Address to Participants in the Conference organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Encyclical Populorum Progressio (4 April 2017).

[9] Message for the Twenty-second Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22), 10 November 2016. Cf. INTERDICASTERIAL ROUNDTABLE OF THE HOLY SEE ON INTEGRAL ECOLOGY, Journeying Towards Care for Our Common Home: Five Years after Laudato Si’, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 31 May 2020.

[10] SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 26.

[11] Extraordinary Moment of Prayer in Time of Epidemic, 27 March 2020.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Cf. Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), 8; 153.

[14] SAINT JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (30 December 1987), 38.

[15] Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 91.

[16] EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Pastoral Letter Sobre la relación del hombre con la naturaleza (21 January 1987); cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), 92.

[17] Cf. Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), 125.

[18] Ibid., 29.

[19] Cf. Message to Participants in the International Conference “Human Rights in the Contemporary World: Achievements, Omissions, Negations”, Rome, 10-11 December 2018.

[20] Cf. Message to the United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards their Total Elimination, 23 March 2017.

[21] Video Message for the 2020 World Food Day (16 October 2020).

[22] Cf. BENEDICT XVI, “Educating Young People in Justice and Peace”, Message for the 2012 World Day of Peace, (8 December 2011), 2; “Overcome Indifference and Win Peace”, Message for the 2016 World Day of Peace, (8 December 2015), 6.

[23] Address to the Parliament of Uganda, Kampala, 1 August 1969.

[24] Message for the Launch of the Global Compact on Education, 12 September 2019.

[25] Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), 225.

[26] Cf. ibid., 64.

[27] Ibid., 96; cf. “Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace”, Message for the 2014 World Day of Peace (8 December 2013), 1.

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