Pope Francis called for forgiveness in a ruinous area of Mosul, Iraq, once held by Islamic State militants, as he capped off his final day of a historic visit to the Muslim-majority country on Sunday.
“How cruel it is that this country, the cradle of civilization, should have been afflicted by so barbarous a blow,” Francis said while surrounded by four decimated churches and a crowd waving Iraqi flags, adding that peace could not be “silenced by the blood spilled by those who pervert the name of God to pursue paths of destruction.”
The 84-year-old continued by calling “the ability to forgive” paramount.
POPE CALLS ON IRAQ TO SUPPORT CHRISTIANS DURING HISTORIC VISIT
“Today, however, we reaffirm our conviction that fraternity is more durable than fratricide, that hope is more powerful than hatred, that peace more powerful than war,” the pope said. “The road to a full recovery may still be long, but I ask you, please, not to grow discouraged. What is needed is the ability to forgive, but also the courage not to give up.”
Mosul was overrun by insurgents in 2014 and later liberated in 2017 after U.S. and Iraqi forces declared victory following a monthslong battle. The pope’s visit to the country is a first for the papacy and marks the first instance the pontiff has engaged in international travel since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, Francis called for peace towards the country’s Christian population, estimated to be around 300,000.
“Only if we learn to look beyond our differences and see each other as members of the same human family will we be able to begin an effective process of rebuilding and leave to future generations a better, more just, and more humane world,” the pope said in a welcoming address.
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The pope’s trip was marked by heightened security measures following a string of rocket attacks, some of which targeted U.S. outposts. Francis resisted calls from his orbit to abandon his itinerary amid the violence.
