Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the Pope’s personal envoy to Iraq has travelled to the war-torn country today, according to reports.
Due to “logistical problems” Cardinal Filoni’s visit was delayed by 24 hours, reports Zenit news agency.
The Cardinal’s itinerary has not been revealed for security reasons but a visit to Christians refugees in Kurdistan is said to be part of his schedule. He is also expected to visit Baghdad.
Speaking in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Francis condemned the actions of Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq, saying that persecuting Christians and other minorities “seriously offends God and seriously offends humanity”.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry has insisted that American combat troops will not enter Iraq, but that that the US will explore more “political, economic and security options” to help end the crisis that has seen Iraqi Christians and other minorites slaughtered by IS.
“There will be no reintroduction of American combat forces into Iraq,” he said. “Nobody, I think, is looking forwards to a return to the road that we’ve travelled. What we’re really looking for here is a way to support Iraq, support their forces with either training or equipment or assistance of one kind or another, that can help them to stand on their own two feet and defend their nation.
“That’s the goal. That’s where the conversation begins.”
On Friday, President Barack Obama authorised airstrikes on IS targets to help Yazidis currently trapped on Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq. President Obama said on Saturday that these airstrikes will continue for as long as necessary to protect the trapped Yazidis and US personnel.
COMMENT POLICY
The Catholic Herald comment guidelines At The Catholic Herald we want our articles to provoke spirited and lively debate. We also want to ensure the discussions hosted on our website are carried out in civil terms. All commenters are therefore politely asked to ensure that their posts respond directly to points raised in the particular article or by fellow contributors, and that all responses are respectful. We implement a strict moderation policy and reserve the right to delete comments that we believe contravene our guidelines. Here are a few key things to bear in mind when commenting…
•Do not make personal attacks on writers or fellow commenters – respond only to their arguments. •Comments that are deemed offensive, aggressive or off topic will be deleted. •Unsubstantiated claims and accusations about individuals or organisations will be deleted. •Keep comments concise. Comments of great length may be deleted. •We try to vet every comment, however if you would like to alert us to a particular posting please use the ‘Report’ button. Thank you for your co-operation, The Catholic Herald editorial team
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.