SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Sunday the Kurdistan Regional Government stands in defense of religious freedom and diversity, as Pope Francis is on a historic trip to Iraq.
“Today, we stand together in defense of religious freedom and diversity – a creed that has been practiced here and beyond for generations, more recently by the Peshmerga heroes who restored the crucifix above churches across the Nineveh Plains,” Barzani said in a tweet.
The pope arrived in Erbil and met with senior Kurdish officials including Barzani, President Nechirvan Barzani and Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani.
The Region’s president reiterated the KRG’s “lasting commitment to peace, religious freedom & fraternity”.
The pope paid a visit to Mosul and Qaraqosh. The 84-year-old pontiff flew by helicopter from nearby Erbil on the third day of his historic trip to Iraq.
Amid extremely tight security, Francis held a prayer service for the “victims of war” outside al-Tahira church, ravaged by Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
The pope said he welcomes return of Christians to Mosul, escaped from the city due to ISIS capture of Mosul and fight against the militant group.
He said the exodus of Christians from Iraq and the broader Middle East “does incalculable harm not just to the individuals and communities concerned, but also to the society they leave behind”.
Francis’s trip is the first papal visit to Iraq, where he has preached coexistence and urged an end to violence in the name of religion.
