Pope Francis begins the third day of his visit to Iraq with a stop in Erbil where he will meet with Kurdistan Region leaders before going to Mosul. In Mosul, the pope will offer a prayer in Hosh al-Bieaa (Church Square) for the victims of war, the ruins of which he will see during his trip to the northern Iraqi city. See here for photos of preparations for the pontiff’s visit to Mosul. Pope Francis will then go to Qaraqosh in the Nineveh Plains, considered the Christian capital of Iraq, and visit the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Less than half the town’s population has returned home after the reign of the Islamic State group (ISIS). They discovered their homes and places of worship in ruins. Residents of the town hope that the pope’s visit will help to heal their wounds, but they are pessimistic about seeing any real improvement in their scarred town. This evening, the pope will celebrate mass at Erbil’s Franso Hariri Stadium, named after Erbil's first Christian governor. Franso Toma Hariri was a senior member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and served as the governor of Erbil from 1996 until his assassination in a terrorist attack on February 18, 2001. After his death, the Kurdistan Regional Government renamed the Erbil football stadium to commemorate his life. Ten thousand people are expected to attend the papal Mass.
