Pope's prayer for victims of war in Iraq: Peace, justice and serene coexistence

Amid the ruins in Mosul, Pope Francis prays for the victims of war in Iraq and in the whole of the Middle East.

Mar 08, 2021

MOSUL: On Sunday morning, Pope Francis arrived at the Hosh al-Bieaa centre in Mosul where he prayed, amidst the ruins and along with the people of Iraq, for all the victims of war in the country and throughout the Middle East.

Before addressing the small crowd gathered amongst the ruins of the four churches surrounding the meeting place, Pope Francis was greeted by the Archbishop of Mosul, Najeeb Michaeel. He then heard the testimony of a Catholic priest and a Sunni Muslim, victims of the terror that rampaged through the city of Mosul.

Three thoughts
Before his prayer, the Pope shared his own thoughts, centred on three main ideas:

If God is the God of life – for so He is – then it is wrong for us to kill our brothers and sisters in His Name.
If God is the God of peace – for so He is – then it is wrong for us to wage war in His Name.
If God is the God of love – for so He is – then it is wrong for us to hate our brothers and sisters.

Then the Holy Father invited all those present, whether near or far, to "join in praying for all the victims of war," and for ourselves. "May all of us," he added, "whatever our religious tradition, live in harmony and peace, conscious that in the eyes of God, we are all brothers and sisters."

The prayer
Pope Francis then went on to recite his prayer. He prayed to God that "from beyond the sea of suffering and death, from beyond all temptations to violence, injustice and unjust gain" He might accompany His sons and daughters with a Father’s tender love.

He noted that we have "often forgotten your counsels of peace and harmony" and at times shown indifference. After a brief moment of silence, the Pope went on to ask: "Teach us to realise that you have entrusted to us your plan of love, peace and reconciliation, and charged us to carry it out in our time, in the brief span of our earthly lives." 

He concluded with a prayer both for the deceased and for "those who caused such harm to their brothers and sisters." May they repent, he added.

The site
The Hosh al-Bieeya (Church Square) in Mosul holds the ruins of four Christian churches, referred to by the Pope in his prayer. The four churches of the ancient Christian community were destroyed by the so-called Islamic State. In Mosul alone there are over 30 churches that have been completely destroyed. None of them have been rebuilt yet.

The occupation of Mosul
Between June 2014 and July 2017 Mosul was occupied by the Islamic State. An estimated half a million people, including more than 120,000 Christians, fled from Mosul, which had a population of 1,846,500 in 2004. The city has been subjected to systematic devastation and this has led to the destruction of, among other things, numerous churches, the mausoleum of ?Awn ad-d?n, Nab? Y?nis (the mausoleum of the prophet Jonah) and a section of the walls of the site of Nineveh, as well as that of rare manuscripts and more than 100,000 books preserved in the Library, archaeological finds and numerous statues in the collections of the Nineveh Museum.

The occupation of Mosul
Between June 2014 and July 2017 Mosul was occupied by the Islamic State. An estimated half a million people, including more than 120,000 Christians, fled from Mosul, which had a population of 1,846,500 in 2004. The city has been subjected to systematic devastation and this has led to the destruction of, among other things, numerous churches, the mausoleum of ?Awn ad-d?n, Nab? Y?nis (the mausoleum of the prophet Jonah) and a section of the walls of the site of Nineveh, as well as that of rare manuscripts and more than 100,000 books preserved in the Library, archaeological finds and numerous statues in the collections of the Nineveh Museum.––Vatican News