Shafaqna English- Pope Leo XIV urged young Iraqi Christians gathered in Ankawa to be peacemakers in a wounded world.
As young people from across Iraq gather in Ankawa, in the Archeparchy of Erbil, for their annual Youth Meeting from 8 to 11 July, Pope Leo XIV is encouraging them to embrace their vocation as missionaries of hope, urging them to become “Christ’s light” in a country that continues to experience the consequences of war and instability.
In a video message to the gathering, the Pope said that “The Church has a vital mission to serve the world by sharing the light of Christ,” he says, encouraging the young people to help “shape the Church — and the world — in the years to come.”
“It is not always easy to be a light in the world,” he says. “You are called to radiate this light in a situation that has often been marked by war and instability.”
Finally, Pope Leo XIV presents light as a symbol of growth and hope. In a region longing for reconciliation, he says, young Christians are called to become builders of peace.
Source: Vatican News