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Pope Francis kicked off a four-day visit to Iraq, saying on the eve of the trip that he was going as a “pilgrim of peace” to the war-torn Muslim-majority country.
The pope, 84, said he would extend a hand to “brothers and sisters of other religions” while noting the “heavy price” paid by Christian communities in Iraq over the past decades.
“I want to meet you, to see new faces, to visit your land, the ancient and extraordinary cradle of civilization,” the pope told the Iraqi people.
“I come as a pilgrim, a penitent pilgrim, to seek forgiveness and reconciliation from God after years of war and terrorism,” he said.
The visit marks the Pope’s first trip abroad since the coronavirus pandemic began a year ago.
He will attend a series of events until March 8th.
The 300,000-strong Iraqi Christian community is one of the oldest in the world.
Its number has dropped from about 1.5 million before the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.
The community has been subject to persecution and attacks by extremist groups, including the Islamic State.
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