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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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“I come as a pilgrim, a penitent pilgrim, to seek forgiveness and reconciliation from God after years of war and terrorism,” he said.<\/p>\n
The visit marks the Pope’s first trip abroad since the coronavirus pandemic began a year ago.<\/p>\n
He will attend a series of events until March 8th.<\/p>\n
The 300,000-strong Iraqi Christian community is one of the oldest in the world.<\/p>\n
Its number has dropped from about 1.5 million before the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.<\/p>\n
The community has been subject to persecution and attacks by extremist groups, including the Islamic State.<\/p>\n
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