Baghdad, Iraq, Dec 20, 2011 / 08:43 am
As the United States finishes pulling its final troops out of Iraq, analysts say that the tragic results of the war, predicted by Pope John Paul II, are being sharply felt by Christians in the country.
Iraqi priest Fr. Firas Behnam Benoka told CNA on Dec. 19 that if world leaders had listened to the “prophetic words” of the late pontiff, “love wouldn’t have been killed off in favor of violence and hate.”
Fr. Benoka said that the Iraqi people continue to face “a terrible tragedy,” as they fight the “shadow of violence” that has been left upon their souls.
The nine-year war has had “dire consequences” for the Christian population in Iraq, said Michael La Civita, vice president for communications at the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.