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Photos and text by The Associated Press
April 1, 2021
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Indians smeared in color participate in Holi festival celebrations in Gauhati, India, on Monday. Hindus threw colored powder and sprayed water in massive Holi celebrations Monday despite many Indian states restricting gatherings to try to contain a coronavirus resurgence rippling across the country. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
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Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and children burn leavened items in final preparation for the Passover holiday in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish town of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, March 26, 2021. Jews are forbidden to eat leavened foodstuffs during the Passover holiday that celebrates the biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery and exodus from Egypt. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Pope Francis: Pilgrim of Peace | Opinion Callista Gingrich On 3/10/21 at 12:39 PM EST
From March 5-8, Pope Francis embarked upon a historic visit to Iraq, perhaps the most significant trip of his pontificate. The importance of this first-ever papal visit to Iraq, a country ravaged by war and violence, can hardly be overstated.
Iraq is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Following years of conflict, however, that community has fallen from approximately 1.5 million prior to 2003 to 300,000 today. Since the Iraq War began in 2003, Christians have suffered persecution, violence and destruction. These horrors were made worse by ISIS militants, resulting in many Christians fleeing to escape the brutality.