'Where crosses were torn down, he lifted hearts': Pope Francis and Iraq's Christians

(OSV News) -- OSV News asked Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar M. Warda of Irbil, Iraq, to share his thoughts regarding Pope Francis' impact on that nation's Catholics and Christians, who currently number about 250,000.

In 2014, Iraq's religious minorities suffered a devastating wave of attacks launched by Islamic State group fighters, who seized Mosul and the surrounding Nineveh Plains. Christians and Yazidis (an ancient Indigenous community) fled toward Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, with thousands of Yazidi women and girls sexually enslaved by IS militants.

Seven years later, Pope Francis became the first pontiff to visit Iraq in a historic apostolic journey that saw him meet with both Christian and Muslim leaders and preside at a Mass for thousands.

Today, the legacy of that visit lives on, said Archbishop Warda.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

OSV News: What has been the ongoing impact of the pope's visit to Iraq in 2021?

Archbishop Warda: In March 2021, Pope Francis made a visit that many believed was impossible. Against the odds amid a global pandemic, security risks, and decades of war, he became the first pope to step foot in Iraq. It was a brave act of magnanimity. For the country's Christian minority, long battered by violence and forced displacement, his arrival marked a turning point.

For years, Iraq has been a place associated with sorrow: bombings, ISIS brutality, religious persecution. The Christian population, once over a million strong, has dwindled to fewer than 250,000. Families who had lived in the same village for centuries were driven from their homes. Faith communities were shattered.

But Pope Francis came anyway -- with courage, humility, and a clear message: "You are not alone."

He visited churches reduced to rubble in Mosul, prayed at Abraham's birthplace in Ur, met with Muslim and Christian leaders, and celebrated Mass with thousands in Irbil. His presence shined a rare light on Iraq's suffering communities and reminded them that the world -- and the church -- had not forgotten them.

"The Church in Iraq is alive," he said in his final Mass. "Christ is alive and at work in this, his holy and faithful people."

That single sentence stirred something deep among Iraqi Christians. It wasn't just a blessing. It was a call to continue, to stay rooted, to believe in their future. Since then, many Christian leaders have spoken of a renewed spirit, a sense that they are not simply surviving, but have a role to play in rebuilding Iraqi society.

OSV News: Were there particular ways in which Pope Francis resonated with Iraqi Catholics and Christians?

Archbishop Warda: Yes -- deeply. For a people accustomed to feeling invisible, Pope Francis brought visibility, dignity and comfort. He didn't speak about us; he spoke with us. He walked our streets, prayed in our churches and listened to our stories.

In Ur, surrounded by representatives of multiple faiths, he said: "From this place, where faith was born, may we affirm that God is merciful, and that the greatest blasphemy is to use his name for violence." That moment spoke to all of us Iraqis, but especially to those who had seen religion weaponized against them.

In Mosul, where ISIS once declared its caliphate, the pope stood in a church destroyed by bombs and said, "Hope is more powerful than hatred. Peace is more powerful than war."
The symbolism was overwhelming. In a place where crosses were torn down, he lifted hearts instead.

One especially powerful memory was the final Mass in Irbil. It was the first large-scale public event after the COVID-19 lockdowns. More than 11,000 people attended, and over 300 young volunteers helped make it happen. Despite all the obstacles, the Mass was joyful, peaceful and deeply unifying.

For many Christians, it was the first time in years that they felt truly proud -- not just of their faith, but of their country.

OSV News: What are some of your most treasured words or memories of Pope Francis?

Archbishop Warda: It's hard to choose just one. But for many Iraqi Christians, the most moving moment was when the pope stood before them in Irbil and declared: "Today I can see that the Church in Iraq is alive." This wasn't just a statement. It was a recognition -- a validation that, despite being small in number, the Christian community in Iraq still matters.

Another unforgettable moment came in Qaraqosh, a town once emptied by ISIS. There, the pope was greeted by singing children, elderly survivors and families who had returned to rebuild. He praised their courage and said, "Forgiveness is necessary to remain in love, to remain Christian."

These words brought healing to a people who had every reason to feel bitter. Instead, they were reminded that forgiveness is a form of strength.

And finally, his presence in Ur -- where he stood in the cradle of monotheism and prayed for peace among the three Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) -- was not only historic. It was prophetic. "Peace does not demand winners or losers," the pope said. "It asks that we step back from the arms race and the logic of power."

That message, delivered in Iraq, speaks to the entire world.

OSV News: For the pope's successor, what issues, tasks or needs are at hand for the Chaldean Catholic Church and Iraq's Christian communities?

Archbishop Warda: The next pope, whenever that time comes, will inherit not just a global church, but a global responsibility to continue the legacy of presence and support in places like Iraq.

I believe the Holy Spirit is guiding the church and its evolution. I have seen how the church grows and changes to help people. I remember seeing thousands of young people gather for St. John Paul II. I remember how Pope Benedict XVI encouraged us to know our faith better.

Pope Francis calls us to go out and share God's love and evangelize the world, and care for the marginalized, to assure them that they are not alone, but the whole church is with you, through prayer and charity."

Iraq's Christian communities remain under pressure. Political instability, economic hardship, and lingering fear continue to drive people away. With fewer than a quarter-million Christians remaining in a population of over 45 million, the community is at risk of disappearing. Without targeted support, entire traditions and languages may fade within a generation.

Pope Francis' visit was a powerful sign of encouragement. He once said, in defense of persecuted Christians, "We must not resign ourselves to the extinction of our brothers and sisters in faith," Francis once said in defense of persecuted Christians. Their presence is a treasure for the entire Church." It is a treasure worth defending.

I pray that the new pope will continue this mission. I hope he will one day visit Iraq and see the fruits of Pope Francis' visit, and keep the world's attention on our small but faithful community.