The pontiff s message was of forgiveness, hope and perseverance as he toured northern Iraq
Pope Francis gestures as he boards a plane to depart for Rome, at Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad. Reuters
Cardinals and ranking Catholic clergymen board the Alitalia Airbus A330 aircraft as Pope Francis bids farewell to other bishops and Iraq s President Barham Saleh and his wife Sarbagh before departing from the Iraqi capital s Baghdad International. AFP
Iraq s President Barham Saleh and his wife Sarbagh escort Pope Francis during the farewell ceremony for the pontiff at the Iraqi capital s Baghdad International Airport. AFP
Pope Francis meets Abdullah Kurdi, father of little Alan, who was shipwrecked with his brother and mother on the Turkish coast in September 2015 while he was trying to reach Europe with his family, at the end of a Mass in the Erbil Stadium. EPA
Of Their Excellencies Noura Al Kaabi and Audrey Azoulay miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Unesco head and UAE minister say Pope’s Mosul visit ‘a clear message to the world
Support from the UAE has been vital for the effort to rebuild Mosul s ancient heritage
Pope Francis holds a minute of silence at the destroyed cathedral in Mosul s old city. Reuters
Pope Francis rides in a golf cart at the ruins of the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception. AFP
Pope Francis, surrounded by religious dignitaries at a square near the ruins of the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception. AFP
Pope Francis releasing a white dove at a square near the ruins of the Syriac Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception. AFP
By Linda Bordoni
Amid the rubble of a church destroyed by conflict and fanaticism, Pope Francis on Sunday led prayers for victims of war and terrorism in Iraq s battle-scarred city of Mosul.
Mosul, in the north of the country, is home to many Iraqi Christian communities who suffered at the hands of so-called Islamic State fighters from 2014 to 2017. Before that it was ravaged by the war led by the US-led coalition in 2003.
UNESCO Director in Iraq, Paolo Fontani, heads efforts to implement projects in the archeology and heritage sector, aiming to preserve ancient Iraqi history.
Among the UNESCO projects is the “Initiative to Revive the Spirit of Mosul,” the restoration of the Old City of Basrah and of the Citadel of Erbil.
Pope Francis' historic visit to northern Iraq to hold prayers at& an ancient church destroyed by ISIL "sends a clear message to the world that harmony.