'We need hope for the Middle East': What the region's clergy are looking for in a new pontiff

The National spoke to bishops and procurators gathered at the Vatican for Pope Francis's funeral to find out their hopes and fears

Pope Francis made a historic visit to Mosul in 2021, with the city wearing the scars of war and ISIS rule. AP

In Aramaic, English and Arabic, Christians from Iraq's Chaldean community prayed for Pope Francis during a private mass at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, where their beloved pontiff was buried a day earlier.

Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, the Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad, travelled from Iraq for the funeral and led the mass in the majestic church with its Corinthian colonnades and delicate frescoes. Packed with devoted worshippers, the service was a testament to Pope Francis's popularity in the Middle East.

His 2021 visit to Iraq, the first papal trip to the country, followed years of war and persecution under ISIS rule and remains a memorable moment for Iraq’s dwindling Christian communities.

Speaking to The National, eight members of the Middle Eastern clergy called for the next pope to preserve Francis's legacy by maintaining the Vatican's outreach to the region and its efforts to bring peace.

“We will always remember him in our prayers. All the people of Iraq respect and love him for this,” Bishop Basel Salim Yaldo, the Curial Bishop of Baghdad and co-ordinator of the visit, told The National after the mass.

“We hope the next Pope will visit our country because we need hope for the Middle East."

Bishop Yaldo is one of many representatives of the Eastern clergy who have praised Pope Francis’s legacy in the Middle East, the cradle of Christianity and now home to a patchwork of Christian communities.

His papacy was marked by iconic moments, from his daily calls with a Gaza parish during the war, to his historic first visit to the Arabian Peninsula, where he signed the Abu Dhabi Document on Human Fraternity with Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb, the highest authority among Sunni Muslims, committing to interfaith dialogue.

Cardinals will begin the process of choosing Pope Francis's successor on May 7, the Vatican has announced. Getty Images

The clergy members who spoke to The National reflected on the void left by Pope Francis and the uncertainty surrounding his succession. “Sometimes the church moves with quick steps; sometimes it does not move forward at all," Father Jad Kossaify, procurator of the Lebanese Maronite Order to the Holy See, told The National.

"With Pope Francis, it made giant strides. A new pope might remain silent on some issues where Francis had been a driving force.

“His legacy could be at risk; it all depends on the style of the next pope, whether he is close to Pope Francis’s inclusive theology. Each Pope has his own personality and charisma and, as of now, everything is possible."

Following Francis

For Lebanese priest Rafic Warsha, the procurator of the Maronite Patriarch to the Holy See, one of the most notable legacies to be pursued by the next pontiff is Pope Francis’s commitment to interfaith dialogue.

The historic pledge of fraternity signed by Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar in 2019 called for an end to wars in the Middle East and for peaceful coexistence among nations, religions and races.

“This document is a cornerstone,” Mr Warsha told The National. “It must be put into practice even more and be taught in schools and universities, and all generations must work to uphold it”.

Pope Francis' trips to the Middle East - in pictures

President Sheikh Mohamed and Pope Francis exchange gifts at the Vatican. AP

Pope Francis and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, during a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi in 2019. Getty Images

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at Zayed Sport City on February 5, 2019 in Abu Dhabi. Getty images

Pope Francis, surrounded by shells of destroyed churches, leads a prayer for the victims of war at Hosh Al Bieaa Church Square, in Mosul, Iraq, March 7, 2021. AP

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi with Pope Francis during a welcome ceremony at Baghdad International Airport, in Baghdad, Iraq March 5, 2021. Reuters

Pope Francis reacts during a meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in the Sakhir Palace during his apostolic journey, south of Manama, Bahrain, November 3, 2022. Reuters

Pope Francis prays by the Western Wall on May 26, 2014 in Jerusalem, Israel. Getty Images

Religious representatives across the Middle East also praised Pope Francis's personal engagement to the region and his leading role in promoting peace, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon.

“We need a Pope who can help stop these wars, whether through spiritual or diplomatic means; the Vatican has an important political role to play,” Athanasius Firas Dardar, the Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Vicar in Basra and the Arabian Gulf, told The National.

“Pope Francis could serve as a model for the next pontiff,” said Archibishop Dardar, who travelled from Iraq.

Gaza stance

In November, Pope Francis called for an investigation to determine whether Israel's military campaign in Gaza could be classified as genocide. His stance was vigorously criticised by Israel, which sent a low-level delegation to his funeral, marking a low ebb in relations with the Vatican.

His position on Gaza has also been divisive even within the clergy itself, and while calls for peace are expected from any new pontiff, such a specific stance is not to be taken for granted, members of the clergy say.

“He even called a priest in Gaza every single day, something that had never before been done by a Pope. He stepped somewhat outside the usual protocol and tradition,” Bishop Warsha said.

A boy in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank touches a photo of Pope Francis, who spoke out for peace in the Middle East. AP

Flaviano Rami Kabalan, Syriac Catholic bishop and procurator of the Patriarchate to the Holy See, said he remains confident any new pontiff will show special attention to the region.

“After all, the Middle East is the land of the first evangelisation, from where it spread to the entire world,” he told The National.

Challenges ahead

The new pontiff is expected to face a series of challenges. Pope Francis’s liberal positions, including efforts to reform the Church’s central governing body through decentralisation and by giving greater roles to lay people and women, shook the Catholic Church deeply.

“He left a deep and complex legacy, with the idea that every priest should be serving – and not be served,” said Naim Khalil, procurator for the Basilian Salvatorians, a monastic order within the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

Although he was popular among the people, the late Pope faced significant opposition within parts of the clergy for breaking with centuries-old traditions, exacerbating certain tensions.

In the Middle East, despite being widely cherished for his message of peace, he also clashed with the Eastern churches, known for their more conservative stances.

Pope Francis's final journey to Basilica of St Mary Major, his chosen burial place

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Chris John, a pilgrim of Iraqi origin travelling from California, told The National he hopes for a more conservative Pope. “I would say traditionally our values are a bit more conservative in our Chaldean Church,” he explained.

His successor will also face the burdensome task of navigating between conservatives and liberals in a polarised church.

But the "Pope of the People" knew how to address everyone, beyond the divides. “He knew how to put on his Middle Eastern goggles,” Father Jad Kossaify said.

Khalil Karam, president of the Lebanese Maronite League, told The National the succession marks a crucial moment for the Catholic Church.

“We are in a period where the church is questioning many things and he had the courage to address many taboo subjects,” he said. “The Middle East needs a pope like him, someone with the courage of his convictions – even if it doesn’t please everyone."

The Vatican has said cardinals will begin the process of choosing Pope Francis's successor on May 7.