The pope's historic visit to Iraq is important and memorable for citizens of all faiths, Iraqi President Barham Salih tweeted on Friday evening. 

"We welcome his Holiness, Pope Francis in Baghdad. Your presence in Mesopotamia after the violence that swept our country will remain ingrained in the consciousness of Iraqis of all faiths, who sacrificed to preserve peaceful coexistence despite difficulties and tribulations," he tweeted. 

Pope Francis met with Salih at the presidential palace in Baghdad's Green Zone earlier on Friday. 

"The pope's role in the call for peace and the emphasis on dialogue is cherished," Salih said at the palace.
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Iraqi government officials and diplomats have told Rudaw of their hope for Iraq amid the three-day visit of Pope Francis to the country. 

“This is a historic visit for Iraq and its people, and we believe that very positive outcomes will be seen from it, especially ones that highlight peace and coexistence,” said government spokesperson Hassan Nazim. The whole world and the international community are currently looking at Iraqis welcoming his Holiness….this visit will give birth to new important opportunities that Iraq will benefit from."

Pope Francis met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi upon his arrival to Baghdad International Airport on Friday afternoon, before travelling to the presidential palace to meet with president Barham Salih.  

He also visited Baghdad’s Our Lady of Salvation, where he was gifted with flowers from Iraqis waiting outside the church. Inside, the pope paid tribute to worshippers killed by Islamic extremists at the church in 2010 and thanked Iraqi clergymen for serving the country’s dwindling Christian community. 

"This is the first papal visit to Iraq and the light is shining on Iraq and Iraqis right now. This visit is of so much importance to us because it might not happen again until very far into the future," said presidential advisor Ismail Hadeedi. 

"The pope insisting on visiting Iraq during such a situation shows how much he wants to deliver his message while being here with us."

Iraq’s Ambassador to Italy also says the visit has a healing effect on her country. 

"The pope's visit is a salve on the wounds of all Iraqi citizens. We believe this visit is one of the most important things that happened to Iraq recently, a visit that fully supports peace in Iraq.”

“I believe the pope's visits to different Iraqi cities will symbolise various messages that have one thing in common: building peace in a country that has forgot what peace is." 

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Laith Abdulaziz Hababa, the former director of Nineveh's health directorate and a displaced Christian from Mosul, has spoken to Rudaw of the importance of the papal visit to Iraq. 

The orthopaedic surgeon, who fled from Mosul to the Nineveh Plains in 2006 before fleeing the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014, said Pope Francis' visit to Iraq shines light on the importance of Iraq's dwindling Christian community. 

“The Pope’s visit to Iraq carries three important messages that includes supporting the Christian community in Iraq, and he shines light on the importance of their existence and presence in the country," adding that the visit also demonstrates Iraq's regional importance. 

"I believe that the last message is the one of coexistence and its importance to Iraq, especially after ISIS tried to wipe out religious diversity in the country.” 

The trip is also a call for Iraq's Christians abroad to "come home," Hababa said.  

“I hope there will be no more bloodshed and that everyone goes back to the homes that were once there. Mostly, I hope Iraq gets to see peace again," he added. 

 

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Iraqis have taken their call for help from the Pope to Twitter through hashtag that went trending in Iraq.

Using the hashtags #SaveUs and #LookAtTheOppressedPeople, Twitter users aired their miscontent with the government and especially the armed forces' treatment of anti-government protestors.

The tweets are aimed at Pope Francis who arrived in Baghdad on Friday afternoon, the first visit of its kind to the country.

"We ask you to watch the tragedy of the Iraqi people, who lack the most basic necessities of life, such as water, electricity, streets and others," read a tweet with the Pope's picture in the background of the accompanying photo.

"The reason for the demonstrations in Iraq is because of corruption and the control of the parties in Iraq, and there is no law that protects the Iraqi citizen from the militias," another tweet with the Pope's photo added to it said. 

"2020, Baghdad This is how the peaceful demonstrators in the October uprising were dealt with by the riot police and partisan parties. @Pontifex #LookAtTheOppressedPeople," said another.
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The first day of the pope's visit to Iraq has now ended. 

In his speech at Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation Church, Pope Francis spoke of the importance of his visit, meeting Iraq's youth, elderly, poor, and promoting coexistence in the country. 

"It is important to go out among our flock and offer the gift of our presence and accompaniment to the faithful in our cities and villages. I think especially of those who are at risk being left behind, the young, the elderly, the sick, and the poor."

He also spoke of his Saturday visit to the Plain of Ur, near Nasiriyah, said to be the birthplace of Abraham. 

He will meet with different religious groups in Ur to "renew our faith," the pontiff said. "It is on religion to provide coexistence and peace between all of God's children."

 

 

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Pope Francis has arrived at the Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad,  where he is to meet church officials. 

The pope was greeted by Iraqis outside of the church, gifted with a garland of yellow flowers. 

"Holy Father, Most Welcome," a choir sang in Italian. 

The church was the site of a deadly massacre in 2010, in which two priests and tens of worshippers were murdered. 

In the church, the pontiff thanked Iraq's clergy for serving the country's dwindling Christian community, while also paying tribute to those killed for their faith.

"We are gathered here at Sayedat al-Nejat [Our Lady of Salvation] cathedral, and pay our tributes to the blood of our brothers and sisters who paid for the sake of their church and their God, a heavy price."

"I urge that the memory of their sacrifice encourages us to renew our trust in the power of the cross and its everlasting message of peace and rebirth. Their deaths remind us that extremism, bloodshed, and violence do not go with our religious ways."

"I thank you, my brother bishops and priests, for remaining close to your people," he said.

The patience of Iraqi youth has been "sorely tried" with years of conflict, said Pope Francis, calling on Iraq's young people to be "nurtured with hope."

He later recited the Lords Prayer, before signing the Church's book of honour, calling for strength for Iraqis to be able to rebuild their homeland. 

 

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Pope Francis said in a speech at the Presidential Palace in Baghdad on Tuesday that he is "grateful' to have had the opportunity to visit Iraq, which he called "the cradle of civilization".

"I come to Iraq as a pilgrim carrying peace in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace."

"We prayed for years for peace in Iraq. Let us listen to the poor, and all those who ask to live in peace. Put an end to violence and extremism and lack of forgiveness," he said. 

"A society that bears the characteristic of fraternal unity is a society in which its children live in solidarity," he added.

The pope spoke of Iraq's fading Christian community, calling for Christians to live in the country "as citizens with full rights, freedoms and responsibilities."

"The age-old presence of Christians in this land, and their contributions to the life of the nation, constitute a rich heritage that they wish to continue to place at the service of all," said Pope Francis.

His speech of coexistence and peace in the country matched up with that given by Barham Salih a few minutes earlier.

The pontiff also drew attention to the plight of Iraq's Yazidi minority, "innocent victims" of senseless violence at the hands of the Islamic State (ISIS). 

“I am here reminding you of the Yezidi people, the innocent victims of an inhumane savagery that were oppressed, terrorized and killed because of their religious beliefs and identity. 

Pope Francis has previously met with Yazidi survivors, including Nobel laureate Nadia Murad. 

 

 

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President of Iraq Barham Salih has hailed the role Pope Francis has in peace and dialogue, in a speech he made after welcoming the pope to the Presidential Palace in Baghdad.

"We welcome His Holiness, and it is our great pleasure for him to be in Iraq," Salih said.

"The Middle East facing a crisis of coexistence and acceptance of others due to tensions and terrorism, which threatens everyone’s future," Salih said. "The Pope's role in the call for peace and the emphasis on dialogue is cherished."

"We must continue to work to combat terrorism and extremist ideology and support coexistence and diversity, which is the best gift we could give to future generations," he added. "Iraq must be free, independent and sovereign."
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President Barham Salih has invited a number of genocide survivors to the Presidential Palace in Baghdad to meet Pope Francis.

Two of them spoke to Rudaw about what their expectations for the Pope's visit.

One of them is Hanifa Abbas, a Yazidi who survived the genocide on her community by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014.

“When Daesh (ISIS) came, five of my sisters were taken, my father had a stroke and died grieving for them, we have bought four of them back and one of them is left,” Abbas told Rudaw’s Halkawt Aziz in Baghdad on Friday.

“We were invited by President of the Republic Dr. Barham so that we can see the Pope, get our message across and tell him to rescue the girls that are left (in the hands of ISIS), or built security for Shingal, and renovate Shingal," Abbas said.

"Women, girls, and children are still in camps, it’s so hard, it’s been seven years they’ve been living in camps. And we want what happened to Shingal to be recognized as genocide.”

Zmnako Muhammad, a Halabja survivor, hopes the pope's visit brings peace and coexistence upon Iraq and its people.

“I lost my family members in Halabja’s chemical attack and lived away from my country for 22 years. The pope’s visit is of importance to me because I believe it is going to bring Iraq peace.” 
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"We give the most beautiful welcome for the historic visit of the Great Pope, the Pope of the Vatican, as a gracious guest to the land of Mesopotamia," Hassan al-Kaabi, parliament's deputy speaker said on Twitter.



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Pope Francis is received by Iraq's President Barham Salih upon his arrival at the Presidential Palace.
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Pope Francis has landed at Baghdad airport where Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is there to welcome him. 

From the airport, the pope will go to the presidential palace to meet President Barham Salih. 
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The head of the al-Azhar institution in Cairo has welcomed the Pope's visit to Iraq.

"My brother @Pontifex’s historic and courageous visit to Iraq sends a message of peace, solidarity, and support to all Iraqi people," Ahmad al-Taib, the Sheikh of Egypt's Al Azhar al-Sharif said in a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon.

"I pray to Almighty Allah to grant him success and that his trip achieves the desired outcome to continue on the path of human fraternity," he added.
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Pope Francis’ visit could draw attention to the need to create job opportunities for Christians in Iraq in order to help displaced families return to their homes, a representative of an aid agency told Vatican News. 

“I think what would need to happen for the people to return or those who are in Kurdistan and other areas to go back to their villages is that there needs to be more job creation and better security. I think on the front of job creation that Pope Francis by his journey and his presence can draw attention to Western governments and encourage them to invest more in the development of the region for the Christians, so they have more jobs,” said Regina Lynch, from Aid to the Church in Need International, who is traveling with the pope to Iraq.

“I think on the question of security I would hope that this is something the Iraqi government would become more aware of through the Holy Father's visit because in the Iraqi part of the north there still is insecurity,” she added. 

She also said that Christians need to feel they are full, equal citizens in Iraq. 

Addressing these points will help “Christians to stay [in Iraq] and perhaps for some to come back,” she said. 
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Before departing Rome, Pope Francis has a brief meeting with Iraqi refugees living in Italy, according to Vatican News.  

The Vatican also acknowledged a ceasefire announced by an Iraqi Shiite militia group for the papal visit. 

On Thursday evening, the Saraya Awlia al-Dam (Guardians of Blood) militia group announced it would halt all military activities during the pope’s visit. The group had claimed responsibility for last month’s deadly rocket attack on Erbil.
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Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said in a tweet on Friday that he hoped Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq will “strengthen peaceful coexistence and harmony among different religions and ethnicities of the country."  

The people of Kurdistan are eagerly waiting to receive His Holiness, Barzani added.
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The United States embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert on Friday morning, warning that transportation hubs, public places, government facilities, and American interests could be targeted without warning.

“There is a threat of drone and missile attacks impacting on civilian and other targets in Iraq,” read a statement from the embassy.

Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq frequently target bases housing US troops and Baghdad’s Green Zone where government and diplomatic offices are located. The militia group that claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Erbil last month said it was suspending activities during the pope’s visit.
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Pope Francis has boarded the plane in Rome, departing this morning for Baghdad. He is scheduled to arrive in the Iraqi capital at 2pm.
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Pope Francis departs Rome for Baghdad this morning. In the Iraqi capital he will be welcomed by President Barham Salih and meet with political leaders and diplomats. He will visit Baghdad’s Syro-Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation to meet with Christian leaders. 

On Saturday, the pope will travel to Najaf where he will meet with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and visit the ancient city of Ur, the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham, a patriarch of the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths. 

Pope Francis will end the day with the celebration of Mass at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Baghdad. 

On Sunday, the pope will travel to Erbil to meet with religions and civil authorities before going onto Mosul where he will offer a prayer for the victims of war in Hosh al-Bieaa. He will then meet with members of Qaraqosh’s Christian community at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. 

On Sunday afternoon, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass at Erbil’s Franso Hariri Stadium. 

The pope will depart Baghdad Monday morning to return to Rome. 

This is the first papal visit to Iraq and comes at a time when only a few hundred thousand Christians are left in the country. Following the US-led invasion of 2003, sectarian warfare prompted followers of Iraq’s multiple Christian denominations to flee and attacks by ISIS in 2014 further hit all minority communities. According to data from Erbil’s Chaldean Archbishop Warda, there were more than one million Christians in Iraq before 2003. Fewer than 300,000 remain today.

 

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