Pope States His Trip to Iraq Was Worth the Risk; Dialogue with Other Religions Leads to Harmony

 Wrapping up his historic trip to Iraq yesterday, Pope Francis said the Church's commitment to dialogue with other churches and with other religions flows from the Gospel, but some Catholics disagree, the Catholic News website reports today (March 8, 2021).

"Often you must take a risk" to promote harmony, he told reporters yesterday as he flew back to Rome from Baghdad. 

There are some criticisms by Catholics: "The Pope isn't courageous, he's reckless. He's doing things against Catholic doctrine. He's a step away from heresy"

Still, he said he has become convinced that God wants the Church -- and all humanity for that matter -- to continue promoting a sense of belonging  to one human family.

Pope Calls on Iraqis to Forgive Islamic Extremists; Urges Christians Rebuild Churches Wrecked by IS

 Pope Francis urged Iraq's Christians today (March 7, 2021) to forgive the injustices against them by Muslim extremists and to rebuild, as he visited the wrecked shells of churches and met ecstatic crowds in the community's historic heartland, which was nearly erased by the Islamic State (IS) group's horrific reign, according to the Yahoo News website. 

At each step in northern Iraq, the remnants of its Christian population turned out jubilant and in colorful dress. 

The traditional Christian towns dotting the Nineveh Plains of the north emptied out in 2014 as Christians fled the Islamic State group's onslaught. 

Only a few have returned to their homes since the defeat of IS in Iraq was declared in 2017, and the rest remain scattered elsewhere in Iraq or abroad.

Greek Island Is 1st in Europe to Be COVID-Free; All 520 Residents Have Had 2 Doses of Vaccine

 The little-known Greek island of Kastellorizo is being hailed a success for its vaccine rollout, becoming the first in Europe to be totally COVID-free, the Euro News website reports today (March 6, 2021).

Tucked away in a remote part of the Aegean Sea, a few miles from the Turkish coast, ir inoculated all of its 520 residents against COVID-19 with first and second doses of Pfizer vaccine.

Since March 2020 only one COVID-19 case has been detected on Kastellorizo. The Greek government is trying to protect small islands that do not have large hospitals by vaccinating their whole populations.

Pope Francis Becomes First Pope to Visit Iraq; Pleads with Hosts to End Violence, Extremism

Pope Francis made a rousing call for peace on the first day of his historic visit to war-battered Iraq today (March 5, 2021), pleading with his hosts for an "end to acts of violence and extremism,factions and intolerance,"  according to the Daily Mail website.

The 84-year-old, who defied security fears and the COVID-19 pandemic to become the first pontiff to travel to Iraq, urged religious faiths to "look beyond our differences" in a country ravaged by ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] that is home to one of the world's most persecuted Christian communities.     

Delivering a message of hope to worshippers in Iraq, he paid tribute to the "age-old presence of Christians in the land, and their contributions to the life of the nation."

Five Jehovah's Witnesses Are Nabbed in Russia; Banned in Russia Since 2017 as Extremist Group

 Five Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia's Komi Republic have been accused of organizing and taking part in the activities of an extremist group, which has been banned in the country since 2017, the RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) website reports today (March 4, 2021). 

Russia's Investigative Committee said today that a court in the city of Syktyvkar ordered one suspect in the case to be placed in pretrial detention. Two Jehovah's Witnesses were placed under house arrest and another two were ordered not to leave the city while an investigation in the case takes place.

Jehovah's Witnesses said a day earlier that police searched at least 14 homes of members of their congregation in Syktyvkar.

TX Ends Mask Requirements at Critical Time; Ruling to End Mask Mandate Is Irresponsible

 Texas Governor Greg Abbott's order to lift the state's mask requirement and increase the permitted capacity of all businesses to 100% has prompted sharp criticism from health experts and government officials who deemed it irresponsible and premature, The Washington Post website reports today (March 3, 2021).

The announcement by Abbott came at a moment when public health officials are warning that new, more transmissible variants could be taking hold. 

A steady decline in new cases stalled this week across the U.S., and cases actually increased in Texas, the second-most-popular state. 

Pope Benedict Slams Biden for Backing Abortions; Scorns Cath.Doctrine, May Be Denied Communion

Retired Pope Benedict XVI brought up the conflict between President Joe Biden's claims of faith and his support for radical pro-abortion policies in an interview today (March 1, 2021), according to the Lifenews website. 

Benedict, 93, retired as head of the Catholic Church in 2013. He recently spoke with the Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera about a number of issues, including Biden, the second Catholic U.S. president after John F. Kennedy. 

Biden describes himself as a devout Catholic, but he also supports radical pro-abortion and anti-religious freedom policies that contradict his Catholic faith. 

This has caused much controversy among Catholics -- especially Catholic leaders in America --  about whether Biden should be allowed to receive communion for his sacrilegious violation of Catholic doctrine.