Cardinal Parolin: Inauguration of Iraqi embassy building ‘a sign of hope’

By Christopher Wells

“Hope” was the key word in Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s address on Thursday night on the occasion of the inauguration of a new building for Iraq’s Embassy to the Holy See.

“The ceremony this evening is a sign of hope,” the Holy See’s Cardinal Secretary of State said, noting the contrast with “the prevailing tide of growing distrust worldwide.”

Diplomacy, the only alternative to violence

In itself, he said, an embassy “is a sign of hope for humanity, since it offers a stable forum and reliable avenue for dialogue and cooperation between States.”

Cardinal Parolin affirmed that diplomacy is the “only genuine alternative to the violent resolution” of conflicts in the world, and repeated the Holy See’s conviction “that the roots and reason for diplomacy are grounded in the dignity shared by every human person.”

The Cardinal went on to review the history of relations between the Holy See in Iraq, noting the presence of an Apostolic Delegate in the region since the mid-nineteenth century and highlighting the establishment of diplomatic relations 60 years ago, in 1966.

Recalling Pope Paul VI’s affirmation of the benefits arising from diplomatic relations between the Apostolic See and various States, Cardinal Parolin maintained, “These sixty years of bilateral relations have demonstrated the prophetic truth of those words and the importance of maintaining a qualified and continuous diplomatic channel between us, especially during the most difficult and painful chapters of Iraq’s history, of which Iraqi Christians are an integral part as citizens of the country.”

He took the occasion to thank the “real people” who have sustained the diplomatic relationship by devoting “their lives to healing the wounds of war and sowing new seeds of hope.”

Historic roots

Then, looking back even further, Cardinal Parolin noted that the roots of the relationship goes back thousands of years, saying, “our hope has far deeper roots, for we share Abraham as our common father, he who hoped against all hope, and ancient Mesopotamia is, in a sense, the home in which we were all born.”

After expressing gratitude “for the journey we have travelled together,” Cardinal Parolin looked to the future, turning a hopeful gaze towards “the young people of Iraq, to whom the Church intends to continue offering quality education through its schools and the University of Erbil, so that together we can offer our contribution to build a country of peace and stability.”

Cardinal Parolin concluded his address with the desire that “the hope we have inherited from Abraham and experienced throughout these sixty years dwell within this Embassy and continue to inspire our diplomatic relations for many years to come.”