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…
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