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The Pope has encouraged more than 700 young people who lived through Iraq’s jihadist occupation to be the light of the world.
In a video shown on Wednesday, 8 July, at the Ankawa Youth Meeting (AYM), Pope Leo XIV urged young believers to persevere in faith and become peacemakers despite the region experiencing conflict and instability.
“You must be Christ’s light in the midst of a darkness that can, at times, seem overwhelming,” the Pope said.
“You may not be able to control your situation or the challenges you will be asked to face, but you can always choose to allow the peace of Christ to rule in your hearts.”
The majority of the attendees, aged 18-35, fled their homes when militants from the Islamic State seized northern Iraq’s Nineveh Plains in 2014. Ankawa, in northern Erbil, where the festival is taking place, was one of the main destinations for Christians who escaped the jihadists, and the Church there cared for more than 10,000 displaced families.
With practically no international aid provided for the families, they were supported by Christian organisations – including Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) which provided more than $A33 million (€20 million) in aid. ACN is also sponsoring the current youth festival.
The message from the pontiff was on the theme of mission, which has been chosen for this year’s AYM.
Originally due to take place in March, the event was rescheduled due to the conflict between US/Israel and Iran, and Pope Leo referred to the ongoing instabilities in the region.
“It is not always easy to be a light in the world. Indeed, at the present time, you are called to radiate this light in a situation that has often been marked by war and instability,” he said.
Having underlined the necessity of bearing witness to their Faith, the pontiff went on to stress the role of God’s transforming love:
“To participate in mission, we must first discover a living relationship with God. We must get to know him. By opening ourselves to God’s transformative love, we receive the grace necessary to follow Jesus and embrace the life he calls us to lead.”
“This is why it is so important to spend time each day in prayer, and to draw close to God through the sacraments, especially confession and the Eucharist.”
Pope Leo also stressed the role of hope in the Christian journey:
“Rooted in charity, you are particularly called to be peacemakers, to unite those around you, and to instill in others the hope of a future marked by lasting peace.”
Since it was first held in 2013, the Ankawa Youth Meeting has become the largest gathering of young Christians in Iraq.
The festival, staged in a suburb of Erbil in the Kurdish north of Iraq, includes Mass, catechesis, confession, seminars, debates, vocations workshops and social activities that foster unity among participants.
The festival is organised by the Chaldean Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, in full communion with Pope Leo XIV and the largest Christian denomination in Iraq.
It draws attendees from across Iraq, including Baghdad, Basra, Duhok, Kirkuk, Mosul and Sulaymaniyah.
The Pope told the gathered assembly:
“You have come from different parts of Iraq to gather in an atmosphere of faith and communion, and I pray that it will be an opportunity for all of you to grow in friendship with Jesus and with one another.”
The pontiff also said to the young participants:
“The way you live must also bear witness to your faith, so that others can see in you the truth and the meaning that they too desire, and thus come to share in the same light.”
“Do not be afraid, and do not think that you are alone in this task. I am with you, the Church is with you. Place your trust in Jesus, listen to him in prayer and through the guidance of others, and allow him to lead you.”