Pope Francis arrives to officiate mass with other priests at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Baghdad on Saturday, March 6.
Andrew Medichini/AP
Updated 1941 GMT (0341 HKT) March 6, 2021
Pope Francis arrives to officiate mass with other priests at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Baghdad on Saturday, March 6.
Andrew Medichini/AP
Pope Francis landed in Iraq on Friday for a historic tour of the war-ravaged nation, where he is meeting with members of the country’s dwindling Christian community and aiming to draw attention to their plight.
It’s the first-ever papal visit to Iraq, and it is Pope Francis’ first trip outside of Italy since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. He and his entourage have all been vaccinated.
“This is a symbolic trip. It’s a duty,” the Pope told journalists traveling with him on the papal plane. “It has been a martyred land for too long.”
