Iraq: Pope’s Prayer for Abraham’s Sons and Daughters

Accompanied by Muslims, citing, representatives of various Iraqi Christian churches and other minority religions in the Iraqi city of Ur, Pope Francis prays for reconciliation, peace and strength for the plundered country rebuild.

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Pope Francis traveled south from Baghdad to the ancient city of Ur to hold an intersex historic meeting on Saturday, the second day of his Apostolic visit to Iraq.

The setting was abrupt, but poignant: a simple, tent-like structure, with white drapes to protect participants from the sun, was placed next to Abraham’s house. In the background are the remains of a 4,000-year-old Sumerian temple with a residential building and palaces known as the Great Ziggurat Ur.

Following the meeting, the Pope gathered in prayer together Muslims, representing, representatives of the Iraqi Christian Churches, and members of Iraqi minorities, including the Yazidis and Sabaeans, who brought together the Lord for peace, reconciliation and strength to the reconstruction conflict- a ravaged nation.

Here is their prayer:

Almighty God, our Creator, you love our human family and all the works in your hands:

As children of Abraham, Christians, Christians and Muslims, along with other believers and all goodwill people, we thank you for giving us Abraham, the illustrious son of this noble and loving country, to be our -father common in religion.

We thank you for his example as a man of faith, who surrendered to you completely, who left behind his family, his tribe and his native country, and who set out for a land that was not he knows.

We also thank you, for the example of courage, bravery, strength of spirit, generosity and hospitality set by our common father in faith.

We thank you in a special way for his heroic faith, expressed by his willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to your command. We know this was a real test, but nevertheless it turned out to be a success, because he trusted you, who is merciful and always offers a fresh start.

We thank you because, by blessing our father Abraham, you have blessed all the peoples.

We ask you, God our father Abraham and our God, to grant us a strong faith, a faith that abounds in good works, a faith that opens our hearts to you and to all our brothers and sisters; and infinite hope that can be believed in all circumstances for the fidelity of your promises.

Make each of us a testament to your loving care for all, especially the refugees and the abstract, widows and orphans, the poor and needy.

Open our hearts to each other’s forgiveness and in this way make instruments of reconciliation for us, builders of a more just and abominable society.

Welcome into your abode for the peace and light of all who died, especially victims of violence and war.

Assist the authorities in the effort to locate and locate victims of eviction and in a special way to protect women and children.

Help us to take care of the earth, our common home, which you have given us all in all goodness and generosity.

Guide our hands in the reconstruction of this country, and give us the strength needed to help those left behind in their homes and land, allowing them to return in security and dignity , and to begin a new, serene and prosperous life. Amen.

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