Published on: Tuesday, March 02, 2021
By: AFP
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A sign welcoming Pope Francis hangs outside the Syriac Catholic Church of Mar Thoma (St Thomas), in the predominantly Christian town of Qaraqosh (Baghdeda), in Nineveh province.
BAGHDAD: Pope Francis is to start the first-ever papal visit to Iraq on Friday, an act of solidarity with an ancient but dwindling Christian community and a symbolic outreach to Muslims.
The trip comes as Iraq, ravaged by decades of conflict, faces a second deadly wave of coronavirus infections and renewed violence.
Persecution has already slashed the country’s Christian community – one of the world’s oldest – from 1.5 million in 2003 to just 400,000 today.
published : 1 Mar 2021 at 09:45 The visit of Pope Francis will be the first ever papal trip to Iraq.
BAGHDAD: Pope Francis is to start the first-ever papal visit to Iraq on Friday, an act of solidarity with an ancient but dwindling Christian community and a symbolic outreach to Muslims.
The trip comes as Iraq, ravaged by decades of conflict, faces a second deadly wave of coronavirus infections and renewed violence.
Persecution has already slashed the country s Christian community one of the world s oldest from 1.5 million in 2003 to just 400,000 today.
The 84-year-old pontiff plans to voice solidarity with them and the rest of Iraq s 40 million people during an intense week of visits nationwide.
In historic first, Pope Francis to visit Iraq
By AFP - Mar 01,2021 - Last updated at Mar 01,2021
A member of the Iraqi forces stands next to a poster depicting an image of Pope Francis at the Syriac Catholic Church of Our Lady of Deliverance in the Karrada district of Iraq s capital Baghdad on Monday amidst preparations ahead of the pontiff s visit (AFP photo)
BAGHDAD Pope Francis is to arrive Friday for the first-ever papal visit to conflict-torn Iraq, aiming to encourage the dwindling Christian community to remain in their ancient homeland, and broaden his outreach to Islam.
Among the most extraordinary moments of the trip will be his one-on-one meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the highly reclusive cleric, who is a top religious authority for many of the world s Shiite Muslims.