Pope Francis again decries situation in Iraq, urges prayer for peace

August 11, 2014

At the conclusion of his August 10 Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis again lamented the situation in Iraq and renewed his appeal for prayers for peace in Iraq and Gaza.

“The news reports coming from Iraq leave us in dismay and disbelief: thousands of people, including many Christians, driven from their homes in a brutal manner; children dying of thirst and hunger in their flight; women taken and carried off; people massacred; violence every kind; destruction of historical, cultural and religious patrimonies,” he said. “All this gravely offends God and humanity. Hatred is not to be carried in the name of God! War is not to be waged in the name of God!”

The Pope continued:

I thank those who, with courage, are bringing succor to these brothers and sisters, and I am confident that an effective political solution on both the international and the local levels may be found to stop these crimes and re-establish the [rule of] law. In order better to ensure those dear suffering populations of my closeness to them, I have named Cardinal Fernando Filoni as my personal envoy in Iraq, who shall depart from Rome tomorrow.

In Gaza, also: after a truce, war has once again resumed – a war that cuts down innocent victims and does nothing but worsen the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

Let us pray together to the God of peace, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary: Grant us peace, O Lord, in our days, and render us artificers of justice and peace.

The Pope also prayed for victims of the Ebola virus and requested prayers for his apostolic journey to South Korea, which begins on August 13.

 

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Further information:

• Le parole del Papa alla recita dell’Angelus (Holy See Press Office)
• Pope Francis: Angelus appeal for peace in Iraq, Gaza (Vatican Radio)
• ‘A real via crucis’: Pope Francis, patriarch plead on behalf of Iraq’s Christians (CWN, 8/8)