Most of the Iranian newspapers published today, Sunday, expressed their welcome to the meeting that brought together Pope Francis and the supreme Shiite reference in Iraq, Ali al-Sistani, yesterday, during the visit of the Supreme Pontiff to Iraq.
Iranian newspapers saw that this meeting during this historic visit constitutes “an opportunity for peace in the neighboring country,” as most of the newspapers in Tehran published a picture of the meeting on their front pages, according to Agence France-Presse.
Publications affiliated with Iranian reformists considered that the visit, which began Friday, carries a message of peace to Iraq, while some conservative newspapers indicated that the return of security to various parts of Iraq is mainly due to what Iraqi factions close to Tehran have done, noting Sistani’s fatwa in 2014, To take up arms to confront the extremist Islamic State “ISIS”, after its widespread attack and its control over several areas in Iraq.
For its part, the reformist newspaper “Sazendaki” said that Pope and Sistani have become “bearers of the banner of world peace,” considering that their meeting is “the most prominent event in interfaith dialogue.”
“Sharq” newspaper confirmed that the meeting was “symbolic”, pointing out that “it shows the importance of cooperation between the followers of different religions.”
Under the heading “Victory for Shiism and Christianity”, the government newspaper “Iran” explained that the Pope’s visit showed that “Christianity continues in Iraq,” despite the “suffering” the jihadist organization (ISIS) has caused to its Christians.
On the other hand, and among conservative newspapers, the newspaper “Resalat” saw that “Pope Francis and a number of foreign countries realize that the freedom to visit Iraq is due to the blood that the brave youth sacrificed to the resistance and the wisdom of the Iraqi Shiite authority” The Pope’s visit is a “precious opportunity for peace,” and it alleviates the “suffering of the Christians of Iraq,” caused by the Islamic State “ISIS”, between 2014 and 2017.
Source: “France Press”
