Skip Content
Aid to the Church in Need

Aid to the Church in Need

Menu
  • About us
    • A video interview with ACN’s new UK National Director – Dr Caroline Hull
    • Annual Reports and Accounts
    • Our Projects
    • People in Vulnerable Circumstances Policy
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Raising Awareness
    • Applying for aid
    • Safeguarding
    • Board members and senior staff
    • Jobs and Volunteering
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Notice
  • News
  • Events
  • Campaigns
    • Emergency appeal for Ukraine
    • Pakistan Appeal 2022
    • Syria Appeal 2022
    • Lent 2022
    • Gifts of Faith
    • India Appeal 2022
    • #RedWednesday 2021
    • Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq
    • Advocacy
    • Religious Freedom in the World Report 2021
  • Resources
    • All Resources
    • Education (Primary)
    • Education (Secondary & More)
    • Fundraising
    • Light a Prayer Candle
    • Prayer & Faith
    • Reports & Reviews
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Make a Mass Offering
    • Leave a Gift in Your Will
    • Fundraising for Us
    • Jobs & Volunteering
    • #Pray4me
  • Contact us
    • UK Head Office
    • ACN North West
    • ACN Scotland
    • UK Press Office and Media contacts
    • ACN International Statement on Fr Werenfried van Straaten 10/02/21
    • Request an Appeal or Talk
  • Shop
    • Parish, Schools and Bookshop – Bulk Orders
  • Basket
  • Log in
  • Donate
  • About us
  • News
  • Events
  • Campaigns
  • Resources
  • Support Us
  • Contact us
  • Shop
  • Basket
  • Log in
  • Donate
  • Home >
  • Campaigns >
  • Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq

Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq

Pope Francis’s trip to Iraq, from 5th-8th March, will make him the first pontiff to ever visit the country. He will be fulfilling not only a personal goal but also the dream of popes before him who longed to step foot in the land that was the birthplace of Abraham. Pope Francis first mentioned the idea during a meeting with Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches in 2019, but because of COVID-19 this trip was delayed until now.

 

The Pope will first arrive in Baghdad where he will meet Iraqi President Barham Salih and then travel across the country to Najaf. He will step foot in the birthplace of Abraham for an interreligious meeting at Ur, and pay a visit to the Nineveh Plains to see first-hand where Daesh (ISIS) carried out its genocide against Christians and Yazidis.

As ACN has previously reported, the Christian presence in Iraq has been drastically diminished in the past two decades. During the time of Saddam Hussein, there were 1.4 million Christians in the country, but today – following Daesh’s seizure of swathes of northern Iraq – there are no more than 250,000, and the number of Christians is still falling.

 

 

From 2014 – 2020, ACN has funded £40 million to help maintain the Christian presence in Iraq and more than 45% of the Christians families who fled Daesh have now been able to return home.

 
Pope Francis has repeatedly stated that Iraq’s political situation is an issue of personal concern to him. His visit is being internationally recognized as a symbol of peace and tolerance. Cardinal Vincent Nichols has encouraged people in the West to learn more about Iraq and the persecution our brothers and sisters there are faced with. Cardinal Nichols stated that this papal visit is a chance for us to “Enter into the country… with heart and mind”.

Neville Kyrke-Smith, National Director of ACN UK, said “I warmly welcome Cardinal Nichols’ call for solidarity with the faithful and the people of Iraq. Through its project aid is showing solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters, and the practical help we are providing gives them much-needed hope.”

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who has visited Iraq, gives his view on the needs of Christians in Iraq here.

    Powered by Juicer

In this section

  • Pakistan Appeal 2022
  • Emergency appeal for Ukraine
  • Syria Appeal 2022
  • Lent 2022
  • India Appeal 2022
  • Gifts of Faith
  • Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq
  • #RedWednesday 2021
  • Religious Freedom in the World Report 2021
  • Advocacy

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close

ANY DONATIONS AND MASS OFFERINGS YOU KINDLY GIVE THROUGH THIS WEBSITE WILL BE COLLECTED BY ACN TRADING LTD ON BEHALF OF AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED (UK)

Aid to the Church in Need Aid to the Church in Need
  • About us
  • News
  • Events
  • Campaigns
  • Resources
  • Support Us
  • Contact us
  • Shop
  • Basket
  • Sitemap
  • Donate
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram

Copyright © 2022 Aid to the Church in Need. All Rights Reserved.
Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifical Foundation of the Catholic Church and a registered charity in England and Wales (1097984) and in Scotland (SC040748) | Charity web design by Fat Beehive