General
The Vatican announces Pope Francis will be the first to make historic visit to Iraq

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, will make a historic visit to Iraq next year, the Vatican says.
Key points:
- Pope Francis will visit the cities of Baghdad and Ur during his visit
- The Pope planned to visit Iraq this year, but was stopped because of security concerns and COVID-19
- Pope John Paul II tried to visit in 2000 but an agreement with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein could not be reached
Vatican spokesman spokesman Matteo Bruni said The Pope, who turns 84 next week, will visit the capital Baghdad, Ur, a city linked to the Old Testament figure of Abraham, as well as Erbil, Mosul and Qaraqosh in the plain of Nineveh.
He will be the first Pope to visit the country.
Pope Francis hoped to make a trip there this year but his plans…
-
Noosa News23 hours ago
Just as Cannes Did, Sydney Film Festival Has Awarded Its Major 2025 Prize to Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just an Accident’
-
Noosa News13 hours ago
The Latest Trailer for ‘Squid Game’ Season Three Is Here — and “No Matter How You Look at It, Life Is Just Unfair”
-
General20 hours ago
Chris Bowen must be sobbing over Albanese’s AI deal
-
Noosa News10 hours ago
Queensland man charged with torture of seven-week-old baby boy