In 2010, the Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad was the scene of one of the most violent massacres since the illegal and criminal invasion by Globalists George W. Bush and Tony Blair in 2003.
The New York Times, who played a pivotal role in lying to get the criminal war started, said at the time of the massacre in 2010 that ‘blood smeared the walls’ and ‘scraps of flesh remained between the pews’.
58 people were killed by the Al Qaeda linked group during the attack. In their article, the New York Times mocked Pope Benedict XVI for failing to ‘provide answers’ in his condemnation of the violence. Their condescending report tried to state that was a senseless chaotic act without explanation of cause, yet we know the cause, the New York Times and other Globalists opened the gates of hell on the Iraqi people in 2003. The cause for the sainthood of those murdered has since been opened.
That horrific attack was a premonition of what was to come. After that, the incompetence of then Vice President Joe Biden, placed in charge of the Iraq situation, contributed greatly to the rise of ISIS who set about crucifying, enslaving and raping Christians in large numbers. Nobody ‘took the knee’ before football games for them.
In 2014, 100,000 Christians were displaced by ISIS as part of a campaign of genocide. Tens of thousands have since returned, many of them in the town of Qaraqosh which has recently replaced its destroyed statue of Our Lady with a large one atop their church.
Now, against all the odds, the Catholics of Iraq are preparing for the visit of Pope Francis between March 5-8.
Local priest Father Roni Momeka was quoted as saying, “The people feel that it’s a miracle that the pope will come here. They are happy not only for the visit, but they are happy that Pope Francis is thinking about those people who are in pain, those people who lost everything, but who never lost their faith.”
For these people to have kept their faith is proof of the God’s love and of the strength of the Holy Spirit.
Nonetheless, the threat of violence remains. The day of the inauguration of pro war President Joe Biden saw a large terror attack occur in Baghdad. As a result, the Iraqi government have announced restrictions that are alleged to be related to the pandemic, yet the imposition of curfew coincides with the visit of Pope Francis.
Pray that the visit passes off safely and offers new hope to Iraq’s much maligned Catholic community.