Upopu uFrancis undwendwela i-Iraq Cathedral etshiswe liLizwe lamaSilamsi
ICathedral enkulu yokuKhulelwa okungagungqiyo kwe-Al-Tahira e-Bakhdida yenziwa mnyama ngaphakathi emva kokuba i-Islamic State iyitshisile ngomlilo emva kokuthimba isixeko ngo-2014. Ngoku icawa enkulu ebuyiselweyo ilungiselela ukwamkela uPapa Francis kuhambo lwakhe oluya e-Iraq kwinyanga ezayo. . UPopu Francis uza kuba nguPopu wokuqala wokundwendwela i-Iraq. Uhambo lwakhe lweentsuku ezine kwilizwe ukusukela ngoMatshi 5-8 luya kubandakanya ukumisa eBaghdad, eMosul naseBakhdida (ekwabizwa ngokuba yiQaraqosh). Indlu yecawa yecawa ezakutyelelwa ngupopu e-Bakhdida yakhonza indawo yamaKristu ekhulayo, de ilizwe lamaSilamsi layiguqula lecawa ukuba ibe yindawo yokudubula ngaphakathi ukusuka ngo-2014 ukuya ku-2016. Emva kwenkululeko yesixeko kwi-Islamic State ngo-2016, iiMasses zaphinda zaqala kwicawa eyonakeleyo njenge AmaKristu abuyile ayokwakha ngokutsha indawo abahlala kuyo. Uncedo kwiCawe e-Isidingo luthembise ukubuyisela ngokupheleleyo indawo yangaphakathi yomlilo eyonakaliswe ngumlilo ngasekupheleni kuka-2019.
“Ndicinga ukuba kubaluleke kakhulu ukuxhasa esi sixeko kuba lolona phawu lubalaseleyo lobuKristu e-Iraq. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku siyigcinile njengesixeko sobuKrestu, kodwa asazi ukuba ikamva lisizisela ntoni ”, p. UGeorges Jahola, umfundisi waseBakhdida. Umfanekiso omtsha waseMarian oqingqiweyo ngumculi wasekhaya ongumKristu wabekwa phezu kwebell tower ye-Immaculate Conception Cathedral ngoJanuwari. Upopu uFrancis ucwangciselwe ukuba acengceleze u-Angelus kule cathedral kwinkqubo yohambo lukapapa oluya e-Iraq olupapashwe yiVatican ngoFebruwari 8. Inkqubo ekhutshwe yiVatican ikwaqinisekisa ukuba upopu uza kudibana no-Ali al-Sistani, inkokeli yamaShia amaSilamsi eIraq, ngexesha lotyelelo lwakhe. Ukufika kwakhe kwisikhululo senqwelomoya saseBaghdad, upopu uza kudibana nenkulumbuso yase-Iraq uMustafa Al-Kadhimi ngaphambi kokundwendwela uMongameli wase-Iraq u-Barham Salih kwibhotwe likamongameli ngo-Matshi 5. Upopu uzokugqibezela usuku lwakhe lokuqala kwi-Cathedral yase-Syria yase-Lady of Usindiso e-Baghdad, apho azakuthetha noobhishophu balapha, abefundisi, abezenkolo kunye namanye ama-Iraqi.
Ngosuku lwakhe lwesibini e-Iraq, uPope Francis uza kuhamba no-Iraqi Airways aye eNajaf ukuya kudibana no-Sistani. Upopu ke uya kwithafa laseUre, kumazantsi eIraq, ekubhalwe kuyo njengendawo awazalelwa kuyo uAbraham. E-Uri, upopu uza kwenza intetho kwindibano yeenkonzo ezahlukeneyo ngoMatshi 6 ngaphambi kokuba abuyele eBaghdad ukuya kubhiyozela ubunzima kwicawa yamaKaledi yaseSt. UPapa Francis uzakutyelela iindawo zokuhlala zamaKristu kwiThafa laseNineve ngomhla wakhe wesithathu e-Iraq. Olu luntu lwatshatyalaliswa nguRhulumente wamaSilamsi ukusuka ngo-2014 ukuya ku-2016, ukunyanzelisa amaKristu amaninzi ukuba abaleke kuloo mmandla. Upopu ukuvakalise ngokuphindaphindiweyo ukusondela kwakhe kula maKristu atshutshiswayo. Upopu uya kubuliswa okokuqala kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya i-Erbil nge-7 ka-Matshi ngabezenkolo kunye nabasemagunyeni e-Iraqi Kurdistan ngaphambi kokuya eMosul eyokuthandazela amaxhoba emfazwe kwisikwere saseHosh al-Bieaa.
Ngokwenkqubo, upopu uya kuthi ke atyelele abahlali baseKhaya eBakhdida kwiCathedral ye-Immaculate Conception, apho azakucengceleza khona iAngelus. Ngobusuku bakhe bokugqibela e-Iraq, uPopu Francis uzakubhiyozela ubunzima kwibala lezemidlalo e-Erbil nge-7 kaMatshi ngaphambi kokumka kwisikhululo senqwelomoya saseBaghdad ngentsasa elandelayo. UPopu Francis wathi nge-8 kaFebruwari ukuba ujonge phambili ekuvuseleleni utyelelo lwakhe lobupostile. Utyelelo lwakhe eIraq luza kuba luhambo lukapopu lokuqala kwilizwe liphela kwisithuba esingaphezulu konyaka ngenxa yobhubhane wecoronavirus. "Olu tyelelo luphawu olubalulekileyo lwenkxalabo yoMntu owangena ezihlangwini zikaPeter kuBantu bakaThixo esasazeke kwihlabathi liphela nakwingxoxo ye-Holy See namazwe," utshilo uPope Francis.