Pope Francis meets Shiite cleric in his landmark visit to Iraq

Pope Francis and Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, on Saturday, March 6, urged Muslims to embrace Iraq’s Christian minority as they delivered a powerful message of peaceful coexistence. According to the reports by AP, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said that the religious authorities have a role in protecting Iraq’s Christians. He also added that Christians should live in peace and enjoy the same rights as Iraqis. 

Pope's visit to Iraq 

He said that Francis thanked al-Sistani for having “raised his voice in defense of the weakest and most persecuted” during some of the most violent times in Iraq’s recent history. The historic meeting in al-Sistani’s home took place after two months of planning. The Pope was welcomed by a group of Iraqis wearing traditional clothes. White doves were released in a sign of peace. The meeting lasted for a good 40 minutes, said a religious official in Najaf.

Read: What To Expect As Pope Francis Starts A Historic Visit To Iraq?

(A photo released by the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Office shows Shiite Muslim leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, left, meeting Pope Francis, 2nd left, along with Christian priests in Najaf, Iraq, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Image Credits: AP)

(An aerial photo shows archeological site of the 6,000-year-old archaeological site of Ur during the preparations for Pope Francis' visit near Nasiriyah, Iraq, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Image Credits: AP)

After arriving at Ur, Francis said “From this place, where faith was born, from the land of our father Abraham, let us affirm that God is merciful and that the greatest blasphemy is to profane his name by hating our brothers and sisters”. He added, “Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: they are betrayals of religion”. 

The aim of the meeting was to cool down the years of strife between the Christians and Muslims in Iraq. Najaf is the holiest city for Shiites, a sect of Islam that is a majority in Iraq.  The pope was invited by Iraq's President Barham Salih in 2019. The 84-year-old clergy accepted the offer but couldn't visit earlier due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pope was given the vaccine in January, following which he decided his first foreign trip to be Iraq. 

Read: Pope Francis Wishes To Spend 'final Hours' In Rome Not Argentina, Reveals New Book

Pope Francis' predecessor Pope St. John Paul II was the first Vatican leader to plan a visit to Iraq in 1999. However, the visit had to be kept off the table because of the tensions that came with the invasion of the United States in 2003 and also prior to that. Pope Francis will return to Rome on March 8.

Read: Pope Departs Rome For First-ever Visit To Iraq

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