Pope Francis to meet Iraqi Christians who suffered under ISS, will lead a prayer

Pope Francis, who is on a four-day visit to Iraq, will meet with the Christian community on Sunday in Qaraqosh, a town that fell prey to the Islamic State terrorists in 2014 before it was liberated three years ago. The 84-year-old Catholic leader will lead a prayer for the victims, who were killed during ISIS' oppressive rule. The Christian community of the town has made a two-metre-long shawl in honour of the Pope, etched with prayers in the ancient Syriac dialect, a language believed to be spoken by Jesus Christ and is still used in Qaraqosh. The pope will also visit damaged Churches in Mosul, a city near Qaraqosh. 

Read: Pope Francis, Grand Ayatollah Sistani Call For 'peace' & 'unity' In Historic Iraq Meet

Pope meets with Shiite cleric

On Saturday, the Pontiff flew to the city of Najaf, where he met with the Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Husayni Al-Sistani at his residence. The two religious leaders called for peace and unity among people of different faiths. Pope Francis thanked Sistani for condemning the violence against the minority Christian community in Iraq. Sistani is an influencing Shiite cleric and is popular among the majority Shiite community in Iraq and across the globe. 

Read: Pope Francis Meets Shiite Cleric In His Landmark Visit To Iraq

After meeting with Sistani, the pope visited the biblical city of Ur, where he held an inter-religious meeting with leaders of other Abrahamic faith. The pope gathered with Muslims, Jews, representatives of Iraq’s Christian Churches next to Abraham's house to pray for peace and reconciliation. 

Read: Al Sistani Reaffirms Coexistence After Meeting Pope

The pope will address thousands of followers in the northern city of Irbil today before flying back to Rome on March 8. The pope's visit is a symbolic gesture towards the Christian communities of Iraq, who have faced persecution in the Muslim-majority country for decades. The Christian faith constituted around 10% of Iraq's population prior to the US-led invasion in 2003, following which it shrank significantly to now about less than 1 percent. 

Read: Damaged Churches In Mosul To Be Visited By Pope

(Image Credit: AP)