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Pope with child, Erbil airport
KT News:
Pope Francis during his visit to Erbil the capital of Kurdistan for the last few days expressed his gratitude to Pershmarga forces for protection of displaced Christians and other minorities. This was during a brief meeting at Erbil international airport on the third day of his official visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Pope Francis is the first Catholic pope to visit Erbil capital of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). During the ISIS war on Kurdistan 2014, 140,000 Christians fled the Nineveh Plains as Islamic State (ISIS) militants massacred thousands of religious minorities in their blitzkrieg across northern Iraq.
“I am grateful that, despite being in war, you received the displaced Christians and other minorities from Mosul, Nineveh Plains, and Qaraqosh. You opened your arms to Christians,” Pope Francis told Kurdish officials at the airport. “The enemy came to destroy this country but you served and opened your arms to the displaced Christians and other groups. War brings destruction, but you defeated the enemy and reconstructed your country.”
