Pope's visit to Lebanon will bring consolation, courage and support, says Bishop of Baghdad

August 07, 2012: ‘Despite all the difficulties that exist and all the worrying that there are circumstances in the Middle East, including Iraq, the Church awaits with great hope the Holy Father's visit to Lebanon’ Shlemon Warduni, said auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, in an interview to Vatican Radio on Tuesday.

He said that ‘even the Christians of Iraq are looking forward to the Pope's visit to Lebanon’, adding, ‘there are still many difficulties, especially regarding security. We hope, therefore, that this visit will bring much consolation, courage and so much support.’

He agreed that the Pontiff’s meeting with Muslim communities is important to strengthen dialogue. He added: ‘All of us live in one place: here we grew up together, live together, and especially us - witnesses of the Gospel - we always try to be close to our brothers, trying to make people understand that religion must bring people down, must be understood that the Spirit of God is present everywhere. If not we respect each other, if we try to help each other, reconciling us all together, it will be very difficult to move forward in these circumstances - with the war - because you do not understand the love for God and love his brother.’

There is just about a month to go for Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic journey to Lebanon, scheduled for September 14 to 16. The primary purpose of his visit is the publication and delivery of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East.

Pope's trip to Lebanon will also be an encouragement to the many Iraqi Christians forced to flee. This proximity of the Pope is felt by the Christian community in Iraq, bishop Warduni concluded.