Pope Francis in Iraq

Close on the heels of Pope Francis' visit to Iraq, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) and the Catholic University in Erbil have come together to help young students forced from their homes by ISIS to rebuild their dreams.
Despite difficulties posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the first batch of students has joined classes as the new 2022 academic year started.

Pope Francis praised the generosity and heroic witness of the Iraqi people as he thanked them for making his visit to the country possible.

Here is the full text of Pope Francis’ homily, delivered March 7, 2021, in the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq.