Pope Francis arrives in Baghdad for historic Iraq visit

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Published on March 5, 2021 by

Pope Francis arrives at Baghdad’s International Airport on Friday, March 5.

He will be welcomed in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace. The Pope will later meet with Iraqi President Barham Salih.

The pontiff will also hold meetings with civil authorities and members of the Diplomatic Corps as well as with Bishops, Priests, Religious, Consecrated Persons, Seminarians, Catechists at the Syro-Catholic Cathedral of “Our Lady of Salvation” in Baghdad.​

Earlier in February, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis is set to visit Iraq, the trip being his first visit abroad in 15 months.

The Pope’s historic visit to Iraq comes as part of an initiative to preserve Iraq’s ancient Christian communities and support the return of those Christians driven out by ISIS.

The Pope is expected to visit Najaf, where he will meet influential Shia Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Husaymi Al-Sistani, and Mosul, where he will pray in Hosh al-Bieaa for the comfort of the souls of war victims. After that, he will visit the Church of the Immaculate Conception In Qaraqosh where he will recite the Angelus Prayers with believers. Finally, the Pope will return to Erbil, where he will celebrate the Holy Mass at Franso Hariri stadium.

His visit will also include the ancient city of Ur, the biblical birthplace of patriarch Abraham, as well as the Nineveh Plain, whose residents witnessed horrible grave atrocities committed by ISIS.

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