The French Dominican bringing Middle East Catholics’ concerns to Rome

This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley turn their attention to
the Middle East. Their guest is Olivier Poquillon, O.P., a French
Dominican priest who, until recently, served as the pastor of a
Catholic Church in Mosul, Iraq. That church was almost completely
destroyed by ISIS in 2014 when the terrorist group took over one of
the few remaining religiously diverse communities in the country.
After ISIS was driven from the city, Father Poquillon returned to
oversee the reconstruction of the church. He was recently named the
director of the École Biblique in Jerusalem—the oldest biblical and
archaeological research center in the Holy Land—and is on the
commission for methodology for the Synod on Synodality here in
Rome. Zac and Ashley talk to Father Poquillon about: The history of
religious diversity and violence in Mesopotamia, the birthplace of
the Abrahamic faiths What Pope Francis’ 2021 visit to Iraq meant to
the people of Mosul What he heard from the Catholics living in the
Middle East during their local synodal sessions In Signs of the
Times, the hosts discuss the latest Catholic developments related
to the war between Israel and Hamas, including the news that Pope
Francis might know one of the Argentine victims of the Oct. 7
massacre. Next, they talk about the pope’s new apostolic
exhortation on St. Thérèse of Lisieux, “the Little Flower.” Links
from the show: Pope Francis: My friend could be a victim of Hamas
attack Jerusalem cardinal offers himself in exchange for Israeli
hostages Pope Francis publishes new apostolic exhortation on St.
Thérèse of Lisieux What’s on tap? Chianti Classico Learn more about
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