Hezbollah Praises Pope Francis’ Iraq Visit, Hopes It Paves Way for Country to Play Its Deserved Roles 

Translated by Staff, Media Relations 

Hezbollah issued a statement in reaction to Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq and the positive results it would bring, hoping the visit would pave the way for the country to play its deserved roles both internationally and regionally, strengthen its national unity and its natural right to sovereignty and stability.

The statement reads as follows:

Hezbollah commends the visit of Pope Francis to brotherly Iraq, as well as the positive results it would bring, especially the Pope’s meeting with His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani. Hezbollah also expresses its full support for the stances of His Eminence regarding the need to put an end to people’s suffering; in addition to the injustice, oppression, poverty, religious and intellectual persecution, wars, acts of violence, siege and displacement that many suffer in various countries, particularly the Palestinian people in the occupied territories.

Hezbollah believes that in the past two decades, Iraq has been subjected to numerous problems and wars imposed on it by the US occupation and the Wahhabi Daesh [Arabic acronym for “ISIS” / “ISIL”] terrorism, implying that both are two sides of the same coin against Iraq and the Iraqis, as well as the country’s unity and its social, religious and national components.

Moreover, Hezbollah hopes that the Pope’s visit will pave the way for Iraq to restore its role on the international and regional arenas, as well as to strengthen its unity and its natural right to sovereignty and stability.

Accordingly, Hezbollah highlighted the role played by the religious and spiritual authorities across the world in confronting aggression and occupation, exposing terrorism, confirming the values of harmony and peaceful coexistence, realizing the right of people to resist against occupation and support their aspirations for freedom and justice.