Will the pope finally visit Iraq once IS is defeated?
Ever since Pope Francis promised to visit Iraq, Iraqi officials have called on him to arrange the trip as soon as the Islamic State is defeated in Iraq.
BAGHDAD — During his visit to the Vatican on Dec. 3, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari invited Pope Francis to visit Iraq, noting that the best time to visit would be once the Islamic State (IS) is defeated and displaced Christians are returning to their homes.
Other Iraqi officials have brought up such a visit in the past, such as the undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Environment, Jassim al-Falahi, who told the media in June that “Iraq was preparing for a planned visit by the pope.”
In December 2014, Francis said that he wanted to visit Iraq, but that this was not possible at that time in light of the security situation.
Also in 2014, when Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani visited Francis, he noted that the pope had agreed to visit the KRG, given the large number of displaced Christians it hosts.
