Pope Francis Visits Iraq to Identify With Persecuted Christians, Meet With Shia Muslim Leader By Pablo Luna / Friday, 05 Mar 2021 07:51PM Pope Francis has achieved a long-term dream of visiting Iraq this Friday. The Holy Father landed in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on a four-day visit to the largely Christian country where he hopes to meet the declining Christian community, pay a visit to the famed birthplace of the Biblical Abraham, visit the 90-year-old leader of Shiite Muslims, and hold meetings with Iraqi leaders. Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq is historic in the sense that he is the first pope to ever set foot in the war-torn country. The late Pope John Paul II would have made the visit in 2000 but it was canceled when the late President Saddam Hussein declined the invitation due to a breakdown of talks between the Vatican and the Iraqi government.