SW News: The Middle Eastern country of Iraq appears to be an enigma. On one hand, it is witnessing the mass exodus of Christians to the West, on the other, there are signs of hope for believers. Two years after the Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis to one of the cradles of Christianity, the nation will be hosting a conference aimed at promoting dialogue between Shiite Muslims and Christians.

The inter-religious dialogue is slated to take place in March next year as part of the second anniversary of the papal visit. It will be conducted between Baghdad and Najaf, which is a holy place for Shiites. The event will also commemorate the historic meeting between the Roman Pontiff and Ayatollah al-Sistani.

Last week, a delegation of Shiite scholars hailing from Najaf was welcomed by Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako in Baghdad. During the meeting, there were discussions on the contents of the upcoming event and other details regarding its organizing.

The Shiite delegation comprised Sayyed Jawad Mohammed Taqi Al Khoei (Secretary General of the Al Khoei Institute and co-founder of the Iraqi Council for Interreligious Dialogue) and Sayyed Zaid Bahr al-Ulum, Professor at the Hawza of Najaf, which is one of the oldest schools of Shiite clerics founded in the 11th century by Shaykh Al Tusi.

The day before the Holy Father landed in Iraq, Cardinal Sako drew the attention of the pontiff to the phrase used by Ayatollah al Sistani, which was printed on posters hung in all cities. The poster depicted the photo of the Shiite cleric alongside the Roman Pontiff. The Patriarch said that Al Sistani had quipped that “You are a part of us and we are a part of you. It was one way of saying that members of both communities were brothers. It actually sent a very strong message to the citizens of the nation, which is facing several internal issues.