CNA Staff, Jan 14, 2021 / 06:00 am
A cardinal has called on Iraqi Catholics to pray at Sunday Masses that Pope Francis will be able to visit their country in March.
Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, issued the prayer on Jan. 14 amid uncertainty about whether the papal trip will take place as planned.
The cardinal invited Iraq's Catholics to recite the following prayer from Sunday, Jan. 17: "Lord our God, grant Pope Francis health and safety to carry out successfully this eagerly awaited visit."
"Bless his effort to promote dialogue, enhance fraternal reconciliation, build confidence, consolidate peace values and human dignity, especially for us Iraqis who have been through painful 'events' that affected our lives."