Pope Francis meets Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Iraq

Pope Francis (right) with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani – Reuters
Pope Francis (right) with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani – Reuters

QAMISHL, Syria (North Press) – On Saturday, Pope Francis visited Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in his house in the city of Najaf, central of Iraq.

Ahmad al-Sahhaf, a spokesman for the Supreme Committee organizing the visit of Pope Francis to Iraq, said earlier that Pope-al-Sistani’s meeting comes on the Pope’s second day of the historic visit to Iraq.

“The visit is the first of its kind and it is an unprecedented visit of Pope to Najaf. This visit raises a spirit of brotherhood, tolerance, inter-religious dialogue and the rejection of hatred,” he added.

It is expected that during his visit, Pope Francis will sign a peace document with al-Sistani in Iraq.

Al-Sahhaf indicated that Pope Francis will be heading to the city of Nasiriyah after this visit to Najaf. 

Pope Francis is expected to visit the ancient city of Ur, where the prophet Abraham is believed to be born, marking the start of the pilgrimage there and the performance of the rituals.

He will also hold an inter-religious dialogue meeting with the presence of a large number of clerics of all religions and sects in Iraq. After that he will fly to Baghdad to attend the Holy Mass in the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph there.