The upcoming inauguration of a Church in Ur of the Chaldeans, four years after Pope Francis’ visit, is a ‘message’ of openness, says Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of Baghdad.
The site, he hopes, will become a place of pilgrimage for Iraqis and believers from all over the world, Christians and Muslims, for Abraham “is their common father.”
Originally set for March 6, the opening has been postponed until after Easter, Ramadan, and Lent to accommodate the participation of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and other Muslim leaders.
This church is “important for Iraq and Iraqis.” It is “a Christian ‘sign’ in a place with a huge Muslim majority, which will help others understand Christians and respect their faith, looking at the points of union and accepting the elements of diversity, to live in peace and stability.”
