In his recent apostolic pilgrimage to Iraq, Pope Francis made a donation of $350,000, which will be allocated to initiatives in support of families most affected by the conflict, the economic crisis, and the pandemic, reported the missionary Agency Fides.

 The Pope’s gesture was revealed by Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, who mentioned the papal donation at the end of a letter addressed to the Holy Father, on behalf of the local Assembly of Catholic Bishops, to express their gratitude for his visit to Iraq.

Pope’s Love for Iraq

Cardinal Sako said the donation is “a sign of the Pope’s real and concrete love for all the Iraqi people. The Iraqi Cardinal specified that, of the total amount “US$250,000 will be managed by Baghdad, $250,000 has already been sent to the Chaldean Archdiocese of Mosul and $50,000 to the Syro-Catholic Archdiocese, which includes Qaraqosh.”

The Chaldean Patriarch told Fides Agency that “we have already distributed 12,000 food parcels throughout the country, specifying that thousands of them have also been sent to Najaf, Basrah, Kirkuk, and Zakho, to be given to the neediest families: “Christian and Muslim families and those belonging to Iraq’s other religious communities.”

In his Letter to the Holy Father, Patriarch Sako said he would have liked to travel to Rome “to thank him for his historic visit to our country, but the coronavirus pandemic has impeded me, due to the complications of the trip.”

Respect for Diversity

In the letter, published by the Chaldean Patriarchate’s official communication channels, the Patriarch reiterates that the papal visit touched the heart of Iraqi citizens, Christians, Muslims, and all other members of the population. “You have sowed awareness of the importance of accepting and respecting diversity, behaving as different brothers, called to love and help one another to build situations in which everyone lives with dignity, liberty, and equality of rights and duties.”

“We hope that this line of conduct, as you pointed out in your address in Baghdad, will also inspire the great world powers,” continued the Cardinal, who recalled that the Pope’s prayers “with us and for us, and his phrase ‘Iraq will always remain with me, in my heart,’ left a profound echo, which has been imprinted indelibly in our memory.”

A Dream Fulfilled

 Moreover, the Primate of the Chaldean Church explained that: “for us, his Christian daughters and sons, his visit has fulfilled a dream, and has given us strong support to stay, to communicate with others, to have hope and to build trust. We are immensely grateful for his phrase ‘you are a Church that is alive and strong,’ which has encouraged us to hope and to go forward with enthusiasm.”

Finally, at the end of the letter, the Cardinal expressed “special gratitude for your donation of $350,000 for the poor. It will be our joyful task to help them in your name, regardless of religious, ethnic, or other differences.”