Pope Francis hopes to embark on the first-ever papal visit to the biblical land of Iraq in early March in a spiritual pilgrimage to the cradle of civilization and the early Christian church.
AMMAN, Jordan — Pope Francis hopes to embark on the first-ever papal visit to the biblical land of Iraq in early March in a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts
Pandemic, security pose challenges, but pope, Iraqis, hopeful for visit
Feb 14, 2021 catholic news service
A member of the civil defense team disinfects inside Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 30, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Iraq is set to receive thousands of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines in addition to the Chinese Sinovac vaccine this month. Pope Francis plans to visit Iraq March 5-8. (Credit: Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters via CNS.)
Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and security concerns, Pope Francis hopes to visit Iraq, an opportunity that eluded his predecessors.
AMMAN, Jordan Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and security concerns, Pope Francis hopes to visit Iraq, an opportunity that eluded his predecessors.
Pandemic, security pose challenges, but pope hopeful for Iraq visit
The Iraqi government is responsible for the pope s safety and that of his entourage during the visit
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Pope Francis, assisted by Monsignor Luis Maria Rodrigo Ewart, holds a weekly livestreamed private audience from the apostolic palace in the Vatican on Feb. 10. (Photo: Vatican Media/AFP)
Despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and security concerns, Pope Francis hopes to visit Iraq, an opportunity that eluded his predecessors.
Iraqis are excited that he is scheduled to come, despite those concerns. Iraqi Christians are very much optimistic because it s a sign of hope and solidarity despite the pandemic, despite the security challenge. It s a strong sign of solidarity, Iraqi Father Emanuel Youkhana told Catholic News Service by phone from the northern city of Dahuk. Father Youkhana is a priest, or archimandrite, of the Assyrian Church of the East.