Pope prays that ties between Muslims, Christians in Iraq endure

Published: 2006-10-02

CASTEL GANDOLFO (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI prayed that the strong ties between Muslims and Christians in Iraq endure as he prayed for peace in the "martyred country." He invited everyone to join him in praying for "the gift of peace and harmony" in Iraq after praying the Angelus Oct. 1. The pope said he met Sept. 30 with Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel-Karim Delly of Baghdad who detailed "the tragic reality faced daily by the dear people of Iraq, where Christians and Muslims have lived together for 14 centuries as children of the same land." Speaking from the window of his summer residence to pilgrims gathered in the courtyard below, the pope said, "I hope these bonds of fraternity will not be loosened." The patriarch made a special visit to Rome and Castel Gandolfo to inform the pope about the situation in Iraq, said Father Philip Najim, the Rome-based representative of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad.

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