Over the weekend of 5-8 March, SAT-7 aired live the first ever visit by a Roman Catholic Pope to Iraq. Described by the Pope as “a pilgrimage of peace”, the historic visit aimed to bring hope and consolation to the peoples of post-war Iraq and recognition to Christians across the region.
Parthians and Mesopotamians (from what is now Iraq) were among the first Christian converts on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9). A national church, known as “The Church of the East”, was established in this land at the start of the 5th century. Then, over centuries, Iraq’s Christian community evolved under changing empires, through persecutions, doctrinal controversies and distinct forms of worship that reflect different dialects. One of these, Syriac, is the closest language to the Aramaic spoken by Jesus!
Today Iraq’s churches include the Chaldean Catholic Church (comprising 67 to 80 per cent of the nation’s Christians), Syriac Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and Armenian and Protestant churches.
Yet, since 2003, a Christian community of 1.4 million has dwindled to around 250,000. Thousands have left their homeland in the face of systematic persecution by al-Qaeda and then invasion by so-called Islamic State, who ordered them to leave, convert to Islam or face death. The much-awaited visit of 84-year-old Pope Francis despite the coronavirus pandemic was a powerful sign of hope for the nation’s Christians.
A dream
“For the Christians of Iraq this was a dream come true,” shared George Makeen, SAT-7 Arabic IO Programming Director. “Before Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, and John Paul II promised and tried to visit Iraq, but they never managed it. The fact that this great man of God was so determined to make the visit in the midst of the current pandemic, rising violence, and instability in Iraq is so reassuring.”
“Pope Francis saw the significance of his presence in a country that is war-torn, where Christians and other religious minorities have suffered greatly and where religious violence is still claiming so many lives,” Makeen said. “He went there to proclaim a message of peace and reconciliation, something we hold dear and core to the Good News we proclaim. It shows the role of the church in seeking the best for everyone.”
The Pope was welcomed in Baghdad by President Barham Salih who said he knew “the profound pain” that the Pontiff felt at the “tragedies that Iraqis lived through”. After speaking to dignitaries and appealing for “the clash of arms [to] be silenced”, Francis made a symbolic visit to the Chaldean cathedral where 58 worshippers were massacred by al-Qaeda in 2010.
Reconciliation
Seeking to promote reconciliation and peace between faiths, especially between Christians and Muslims, has been an important part of this Pope’s ministry. In Abu Dhabi in February 2019, he signed a landmark document on “human fraternity for world peace and living together”, with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the leading Sunni Muslim teaching institution. During his trip to Iraq, the Pope met with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the most important clerics in Shia Islam. Al-Sistani was an important figure in calling for an end to sectarian violence between 2006 and 2008.
At the site of the ancient city of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham, who is revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims, the Pope urged representatives of Iraq’s Muslim and minority faiths to work together for unity. “This is true religion,” he said, “to worship God and to love our neighbour”.
In Mosul, a city that for four years was an IS stronghold, the backdrop was the rubble of a ruined church. There he appealed to Christians in Iraq and the Arab world not to leave their homelands.
Watch roundup of SAT-7’s coverage of the Pope’s historic visit and its significance for peace-building in Iraq
Effusive
The most effusive welcome for the Pope came in the Nineveh plains, the historic homeland of Christians, and in Erbil where thousands of families fled in 2014 and from where many have yet to return. In the Christian majority town of Qaraqosh, he was welcomed with olive branches, palm fronds and ululating crowds at a church that has been beautifully restored since it was desecrated by IS.
Francis told his hearers, “Now is the time to rebuild and start afresh. The road to a full recovery may still be long, but I ask you, please, not to grow discouraged.”
The Pope’s last official meeting, in a stadium in Erbill, was attended by thousands. There he cheered the crowds, saying, “I can see at first hand that the Church in Iraq is alive. Iraq will always remain with me, in my heart”. He closed by saying, “salam, salam, salam”, meaning “peace, peace, peace” in Arabic. Before leaving the country, Pope Francis revealed that his next foreign visit will be to Lebanon, another Middle East country currently mired in crisis.
Comments from SAT-7 viewers
SAT-7 viewers shared their thoughts and prayers on the visit and SAT-7’s coverage on our social media pages. Here are some examples:
“We ask God to make this visit a step towards peace in the region and the whole world.”
“May this visit of the Pope be for the blessing, good, love, and peace of Jesus for them.”
“Excellent explanation about minorities and how to think differently about helping each other and democracy.”
“Righteousness and piety for humanity. We unite as peacemakers. This is the will of the Lord for mankind … planting this love that comes from the person of Jesus who is God and the God of peace – to get rid of partisanship, so that we live with the Holy Spirit who heals all and we reap unity.”
“We ask God to make this visit a step towards peace in the region and the whole world.”
SAT-7’s support for Iraqi viewers
Over the weekend of the Pope’s visit, SAT-7 aired a live stream from the major events and interviewed Christian leaders about the nation’s recent history and hopes for the future. During the years of conflict, SAT-7 produced a number of programmes specifically for Iraqi audiences. Among these was a special filming trip to Baghdad where Christians shared stories of surviving terrorism, a talk show, For You, Iraq, and a night of testimony, music and prayer involving survivors of the Baghdad cathedral massacre. Other programmes have featured the stories of Iraqi refugees living in Jordan and elsewhere.
The Arabic children’s channel, SAT-7 KIDS, made three visits to Iraq and interviewed families in refugee camps in Erbil. The channel followed the story of nine-year-old Myriam from Qaraqosh who shared a message of forgiveness to IS, which went viral in 2015. A follow up documentary of Myriam’s return to her hometown, was filmed in 2019.