Ankawa Youth Meeting (AYM) was the event where Pope Leo XIV encouraged more than 700 young people who lived through Iraq’s jihadist occupation to be the light of the world. In a video message shown on Wednesday, 8 July, at the festival, the Pope urged young believers to persevere in faith and become peacemakers, despite the fact that the region continues to experience conflict and instability.
The Holy Father shared a message of deep comfort to guide the young assembly:
“You must be Christ’s light in the midst of a darkness that can, at times, seem overwhelming. You may not be able to control your situation or the challenges you will be asked to face, but you can always choose to allow the peace of Christ to rule in your hearts.”
The message from the pontiff focused heavily on the theme of mission, which has been chosen for this year’s edition of the AYM. Originally scheduled to take place in March, the event was postponed due to the conflict between the US/Israel and Iran, prompting Pope Leo XIV to address the ongoing instabilities affecting the Middle East.
“It is not always easy to be a light in the world. Indeed, at the present time, you are called to radiate this light in a situation that has often been marked by war and instability,”
Having underlined the necessity of bearing witness to their faith, the pontiff went on to stress the role of God’s transforming love in their daily journey:
“To participate in mission, we must first discover a living relationship with God. We must get to know him. By opening ourselves to God’s transformative love, we receive the grace necessary to follow Jesus and embrace the life he calls us to lead. This is why it is so important to spend time each day in prayer, and to draw close to God through the sacraments, especially confession and the Eucharist.”
Pope Leo XIV also stressed the critical role of hope in the Christian life:
“Rooted in charity, you are particularly called to be peacemakers, to unite those around you, and to instill in others the hope of a future marked by lasting peace.”
The majority of the attendees, aged 18–35, fled their homes when militants from the Islamic State seized northern Iraq’s Nineveh Plains in 2014. Ankawa, located in northern Erbil where the festival is currently taking place, was one of the main destinations for Christians who escaped the jihadists, and the local Church there cared for more than 10,000 displaced families. With practically no international aid provided for these families, they were supported by Christian organizations—including the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which provided more than €20 million in aid and is actively sponsoring the current youth festival.
Since it was first held in 2013, the Ankawa Youth Meeting has successfully become the largest gathering of young Christians in Iraq. Staged in a suburb of Erbil in the Kurdish north of Iraq, the festival includes Mass, catechesis, confession, seminars, debates, vocations workshops, and social activities that foster unity among participants. The festival is organized by the Chaldean Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Pope Leo XIV and the largest Christian denomination in Iraq, drawing attendees from all across the country, including Baghdad, Basra, Duhok, Kirkuk, Mosul, and Sulaymaniyah.
The Pope concluded his address by celebrating the diverse origins of the youth and assuring them of the accompaniment of the universal Church:
“You have come from different parts of Iraq to gather in an atmosphere of faith and communion, and I pray that it will be an opportunity for all of you to grow in friendship with Jesus and with one another. The way you live must also bear witness to your faith, so that others can see in you the truth and the meaning that they too desire, and thus come to share in the same light. Do not be afraid, and do not think that you are alone in this task. I am with you, the Church is with you. Place your trust in Jesus, listen to him in prayer and through the guidance of others, and allow him to lead you.”
