٠٠:٠٢:١٦Pope Francis celebrated a Holy Mass in front of around 10,000 people at Erbil's Franso Hariri Stadium on the last day of his visit to Iraq on Sunday.
"Today, I can see and touch that the Church in Iraq is alive, that Christ lives and works in this holy and faithful people of his," the pontiff said. "Even in the midst of great poverty and difficulties, many of you have generously offered concrete help and solidarity to the poor and the suffering."
The Pope's historic visit to Iraq comes as part of an initiative to preserve Iraq's ancient Christian communities and support the return of those Christians driven out by the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
On Saturday, the pontiff met with Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, with al-Sistani releasing a statement calling for Iraqi Christians to be protected and allowed to live in peace after the hour long meeting.
Iraq: 'The Church in Iraq is alive' - Pope Francis celebrates mass in Erbil stadium
Pope Francis celebrated a Holy Mass in front of around 10,000 people at Erbil's Franso Hariri Stadium on the last day of his visit to Iraq on Sunday.
"Today, I can see and touch that the Church in Iraq is alive, that Christ lives and works in this holy and faithful people of his," the pontiff said. "Even in the midst of great poverty and difficulties, many of you have generously offered concrete help and solidarity to the poor and the suffering."
The Pope's historic visit to Iraq comes as part of an initiative to preserve Iraq's ancient Christian communities and support the return of those Christians driven out by the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
On Saturday, the pontiff met with Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, with al-Sistani releasing a statement calling for Iraqi Christians to be protected and allowed to live in peace after the hour long meeting.
Pope Francis celebrated a Holy Mass in front of around 10,000 people at Erbil's Franso Hariri Stadium on the last day of his visit to Iraq on Sunday.
"Today, I can see and touch that the Church in Iraq is alive, that Christ lives and works in this holy and faithful people of his," the pontiff said. "Even in the midst of great poverty and difficulties, many of you have generously offered concrete help and solidarity to the poor and the suffering."
The Pope's historic visit to Iraq comes as part of an initiative to preserve Iraq's ancient Christian communities and support the return of those Christians driven out by the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).
On Saturday, the pontiff met with Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, with al-Sistani releasing a statement calling for Iraqi Christians to be protected and allowed to live in peace after the hour long meeting.