[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Pope Francis has embarked on a historic visit to Iraq. This is the first time in the 2000-year history of Catholicism that a pope has visited Iraq. Iraq is the birthplace of Abraham, who is considered an ancestor by Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
On the morning of the 5th (local time), the pope boarded the Alitalia A330, his official plane, at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, and departed for Iraq. This also marks the resumption of overseas pastoral visits, which had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic since the Japan-Thailand tour in November 2019.
The pope will visit Baghdad, Najaf, Ur, Erbil, Mosul, and Baqouba over three nights and four days until the 8th, meeting local Christian community leaders and congregants. In Najaf, a historic first meeting with the Islamic Shia leader is also scheduled.
The pope aims to express solidarity with Iraqi Christians who have suffered long oppression and persecution since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, and to emphasize interreligious harmony, which he has continuously promoted since his enthronement.
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