Despite the anguish, the Christians of Erbil prepare to welcome the Pope

Christians of Ainkawa, Kurdistan, are involved in preparing churches, reciting hymns, and organizing a great mass before the Pope’s first visit to Iraq. Many of those who stayed or returned to Iraq welcomes the visit of Pope Francis on March the fifth to eighth, to acknowledge the amount of the suffering they have endured. In Erbil, Pope Dinkha Gula is in charge of leading the supply team and organizing the great mass, according to the official of the Suraya Cultural and Media Office, Nawzad, who stated that more than 8,000 people have already registered to attend the event, pointing out that the biggest challenge is carrying out social distancing measures in the open stadium where the Pope will lead the Mass, since the capacity of the place is about 30 thousand, whereas the participants will not exceed one-third of this number due to the restrictions of Covid. “Nawzad” emphasized that the Pope’s visit to Iraq carries meanings and historical depth, as the Pope will visit five prominent sites and cities, starting from Ur, Najaf, Baghdad, Erbil, and Mosul.