In memory of Pope Francis

As our modest way of honoring the memory of Pope Francis, we are reprinting part of our column dated March 17, 2021, 'Pope Francis' journey in Iraq; the 1990 earthquake in Pangasinan and pioneering in the Middle East':

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"We join Roman Catholics around the world in praying for the safety of Pope Francis who, as of this writing, boarded his plane for Iraq last Friday, indeed a historic but dangerous journey in the midst of the raging global pandemic and the recurrent violence in the war-ravaged country.

The unprecedented Papal visit takes place amid the frequent rocket attacks by armed groups on bases housing U.S. troops in the country, including the assault on Al Asad airbase a few days before Pope Francis' arrival in Baghdad. Last January, a market in the capital Baghdad was rocked by a twin suicide bombing claimed by ISIS, killing more than 30 civilians and injuring more than a hundred.