During a visit to the Vatican, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Pope Francis, the world’s Catholic leader.
Al-Kazemi met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday to discuss his recent “historic trip” to Iraq and its messages in support of Iraq and its emphasis on the unity of humanity in peace, coexistence and countering all forms of extremism.
According to the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office, al-Kadhimi also stressed his government’s commitment to working to strengthen the position of Iraqi Christians and other minorities on their own soil as an integral part of society.
In a meeting with the pope, al-Kadhimi also stressed the need to facilitate the return of refugees and migrants to their main areas in Iraq and to try to encourage Iraqi church authorities to activate their humanitarian role, especially in education and health, and to provide them with the necessary assistance.
Al-Kazemi also stressed the importance of taking measures and providing the necessary facilities for tourism and religious groups in the ancient city of Ur.
Pope Francis, in turn, welcomed al-Kadhimi and his entourage, stressing the importance of strengthening peace efforts in the region for the prosperity and stability of nations.
During the meeting, the Iraqi Prime Minister presented the Pope with a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” leather painting, which was made by one of the victims of the ISIS terrorist group during his captivity.
In return, Pope Francis presented al-Kadhimi with a bronze work of art inspired by the idea of ​​peace, which contained the phrase “Be messengers of peace.”
Al-Kadhimi also received a copy of the pope’s “This Year for Peace” message and a copy of the Human Brotherhood Document from Pope Francis.c
During his visit, the Iraqi Prime Minister also met with the Prime Minister of the Vatican, where they discussed bilateral relations and the strengthening of cooperation and coordination to facilitate the visit of tourist and religious groups to the historic city of Ur.
During the meeting, al-Kazemi once again invited the High Standing Committee for Dialogue between Iraq and the Vatican to hold its third meeting this year in Baghdad.
The world’s Catholic leader paid a four-day visit to Iraq last March to meet with al-Kadhimi and other Iraqi officials.
After meeting with political officials in Baghdad, Pope Francis met with Ayatollah Sistani, the supreme Shiite authority in Iraq, in Najaf Ashraf.
After meeting with Ayatollah Sistani, the Pope left for the city of Ur. Ur is the birthplace of Abraham (pbuh) and therefore has historical significance for Christians.
During a joint prayer service in the historic city of Ur, the pope said: By invading Iraq, terrorism actually invaded a part of history. Many Yazidis died and many of them, especially children, were abused and persecuted.
He clarified: We are the ones who have to build the earth. Brotherhood leads us to human life. We must not forget the good intentions of man.