«Dear brothers and sisters, my thought goes to beloved Iraq, where manifestations of protest, which happened during this month, have caused numerous dead and wounded,» Pope Francis said October 30, 2019, during his General Audience in St. Peter’s Square. «While I express my condolence for the victims and my closeness to their families and to the wounded, I invite the Authorities to listen to the cry of the population that asks for a worthy and tranquil life.
«I exhort all Iraqis, with the support of the international community, to follow the way of dialogue and of reconciliation and to seek just solutions to the country’s challenges and the problems. I pray so that that martyred people may find peace and stability after so many years of war and violence when it has suffered so much.»
Tens of thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets in recent days to protest government corruption and high employment. The protests have been violent in Baghdad and several other cities.
