Name? Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis)
Westphalian identity? Argentine
Age? 83
Why is he in the news? Pope Francis just completed the first-ever papal visit to the country of Iraq. In his addresses to Muslims and Christians, he delivered messages of peaceful coexistence, urging such coexistence and safety for all.
Why do we care? In order to celebrate International Women’s Day, we thought it would be good if a white European male wrote about a white old male…Jokes aside, this visit was historic and of high symbolism, especially during times of Covid (he is vaccinated) and increased terrorist attacks on the capital of Baghdad and Mosul. The pope decided to visit nonetheless, making his visit even more symbolic. (and we like to celebrate the power of women every day, not just this one)
Why should you care? Usually, the majority of the world does not care about the Pope. He is a symbolic figure calling for peace and unity all year long. But him doing that in a majority Muslim country deserves some recognition. If we treat this for what it is, a symbolic first step of many, then you should care 6/10.
Who else cares? Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, he is a deeply respected figure in Shia-majority Iraq and thus, his opinions on religion and other matters are sought by Shia Muslims worldwide. His call for the 2014 fatwa, or religious edict, against ISIS, swelled the ranks of Shia militias, many closely tied to Iran. His word matters and so he met with Pope Francis, calling for unity. After their meeting, al-Sistani’s office published a statement that “affirmed his concern that Christian citizens should live like all Iraqis with their full constitutional rights.”
Any further comments? Pope Francis wanted to visit Iraq to visit the birthplace of Abraham, the father of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. All it took was 10000 security guards to protect him and make it happen.
