Pope calls on Christians to forgive and rebuild amid ruins of churches in Iraq

Pope Francis surrounded by shells of destroyed churches (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Pope Francis has called on Iraq’s Christians to forgive the injustices committed against them by Islamic extremists.

The call came as he visited the wrecked shells of churches and met ecstatic crowds in the community’s historic heartland, which was nearly erased by the so-called Islamic State group’s horrific reign.