SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Pope Francis departed Iraq’s capital Baghdad on Monday following his four-day historic trip to Iraq.
The pope, arrived in Baghdad on Friday, paid visits to Najaf, the ancient city of Ur, Erbil, Mosul and Qaraqosh during his trip to the country.
The pontiff and his travelling delegation were seen off with a farewell ceremony at the Baghdad airport, from where he left for Rome.
At every turn of his trip, Francis urged Iraqis to embrace diversity – from Najaf in the south, where he held a historic face-to-face meeting with powerful Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to Nineveh to the north, where he met with Christian victims of the Islamic State (ISIS) terror and heard their testimonies of survival.
The country has deployed thousands of security personnel to protect him during the visit.
*This story was updated at 10:15 a.m. EBL time
