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 News14 hours ago
Brisbane vs Collingwood live blog: Richmond selects Noah Balta as unbeaten Lions prepare for Magpies test
-
General13 hours ago
NT Coalition candidate Lisa Siebert diverges from Jacinta Nampijinpa Price on royal commission call
-
General15 hours ago
Canberra man named as doctor accused of rape after suppression order lifted
-
Noosa News17 hours ago
Australians tell ABC’s Your Say how they saw the second leaders debate