In 1697, a 20-year-old man was hanged in Edinburgh for blasphemy. Authorities “wanted his death to serve as a warning to other would-be dissidents.” In 1983 a 15-year-old Iranian girl,
This is why His Holiness Pope Francis will go to Iraq
Father Rif’at Bader, Director of The Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM), provides historical and contextual background to Pope Francis scheduled Apostolic Journey to Iraq in March 2021.
By Fr. Rif’at Bader
Iraq is a sacred country. It was inhabited by prophets, the oldest of whom was Abraham, who headed from the Chaldean Ur to the Holy land, where the era of prophecy began in the old times. Iraq is the country of Prophet Jonah who lived in Nineveh and called for repentance and permanent return to God. It is also the country in which the people were exiled in the Old Testament during a merciless trip called exile to Babylon.