Pope Francis embarks on historic visit to Iraq
Al Jazeera
The pontiff lands in Baghdad in highly symbolic visit for dwindling Iraqi Christian communities affected by conflict.
Pope Francis began a historic visit to Iraq on Friday, the first by a pontiff to the birthplace of the Eastern Churches from where more than a million Christians have fled over the past 20 years. An Alitalia plane carrying the pontiff and his entourage, including about 75 journalists, arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Friday at about 2pm local time amid tight security. “This is an emblematic trip and it is a duty towards a land that has been martyred for so many years,” Francis said in brief comments to reporters aboard his plane.More Related News