The purpose of the trip is to encourage Iraq's Christian population, which has been violently persecuted by the Islamic State group. The pope’s four-day trip to the majority Muslim country will also include the first papal visit with a grand ayatollah, Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani, over the weekend. ADVERTISEMENT Before leaving, the 84-year-old said he would proceed to Iraq “God willing” and that he had long wanted to visit people who have "suffered so much,” according to The Washington Post. Previously, Pope John Paul II had attempted to make a visit to the country two decades ago, but the trip was canceled by then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.