Traveling Despite Corona – Pope Francis Visits Iraq – News

• Pope Francis has come to visit Iraq.
• The 84-year-old Argentine pope wants to express his support for the Christian community.
• In addition, the Pope meets with the highest Shiite dignitary in the country.

It is the Pope’s first trip abroad since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the AFP news agency. It is also the Pope’s first trip to Iraq. This regardless of the fact that the Christian community is one of the oldest in the world.

“I am very happy to be able to resume my travels,” Francis told reporters on the flight to Baghdad. The visit is a duty to a country that has been beaten for many years.

Meeting with those affected by the war

Francisco’s trip aims to strengthen the Christian community that suffered atrocities during the war against the so-called IS.

First, Francis wanted to meet Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kasimi and President Barham Salih on Friday. Later there will be meetings with representatives of civil society and the local church.

Shrunken Christian Community

The Iraqi government had massively tightened security measures before his arrival. Numerous additional checkpoints were established in Baghdad. Due to a full three-day curfew, the capital’s streets were virtually deserted on Friday. Recently, the security situation in Iraq has worsened again.

The Christian community in the predominantly Muslim country, which is persecuted time and again, has shrunk considerably in recent decades. Once there were more than a million Christians in Iraq. Today it is estimated that there are still between 250,000 and 400,000.