By Newsroom
5th March 2021
Pope Francis has arrived in Iraq for the first ever papal visit and his first international trip since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Covid-19 and security fears have made this a risky visit but the 84-year-old insisted he was duty bound.
He will try to reassure the decreasing Christian community and foster inter-religious dialogue with a meeting with Iraq’s most respected Shia Muslim cleric.
The Pope will also celebrate Mass at a stadium in Ibil in the north.
About 10,000 Iraqi Security Forces personnel are being deployed to protect the Pope, while round-the-clock curfews are also being imposed to limit the spread of Covid-19.
The Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa al Kadimi greeted the Pope at the airport upon his arrival.
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