Pope Francis arrives in Iraq for historic papal visit, amid coronavirus and security fears

The pope said he is travelling as a ‘pilgrim of peace’ and will also reach out to Shiite Muslims during his trip

The number of Christians in Iraq has collapsed over years of persecution and sectarian violence, from 1.5 million in 2003 to fewer than 400,000 today

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Pope Francis and Iraqi President Barham Salih attend a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Baghdad on Friday March 5. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:24pm, 5 Mar 2021Updated: 9:24pm, 5 Mar 2021

Pope Francis landed in war-battered Iraq on Friday on a first-ever papal visit, defying security fears and the pandemic to comfort one of the world’s oldest and most persecuted Christian communities.

The 84-year-old, who said he was travelling to Iraq as a “pilgrim of peace”, will also reach out to Shiite Muslims when he meets Iraq’s top cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

His plane landed at 1.55pm, waving the flags of both Vatican City and Iraq as it taxied on the tarmac at Baghdad International Airport, where Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi greeted him.

“With love and peace, Iraq’s people and government are welcoming His Holiness Pope Francis and reaffirming the depths of this humanitarian bond,” Kadhemi said ahead of the pope’s arrival.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi walks with Pope Francis upon his arrival at Baghdad International Airport. Photo: Reuters

This is the pope’s his first abroad since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, which left him feeling “caged” inside the Vatican.

“I’m happy to resume travel, and this symbolic trip is also a duty to a land that has been martyred for years,” the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics he told journalists aboard his plane.