Pope Francis’ Special Gift for Christian Commander of Iraq’s PMU
On the first day of his historic trip to Iraq, the head of the Catholic Church gifted his rosary to Riyan al-Kaldani, a commander of the popular force, al-Alam reported.
Pope arrived in Baghdad on Friday and was welcomed by Iraqi President Barham Salih.
This is the first visit the pontiff has embarked on since the pandemic hit the world.
He told reporters on his plane that he felt duty-bound to make the “emblematic” trip because the country “has been martyred for so many years.”
In a speech after being welcomed by Salih, the pontiff called for an end to violence and extremism.
“May the clash of arms be silenced...may there be an end to acts of violence and extremism,” he said.
He also criticized foreign meddling that have destabilized Iraq and the region and hit ordinary people the hardest.
Pope Francis is also scheduled to meet top Shia Muslim cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf.
