Shafaq News/ Pope Francis starts a historic trip to Iraq on Friday, defying security fears and the pandemic.

The Pope left Rome and it’s supposed to arrive within four hours.

During his four-day visit, the 84-year-old Pope will reach out to Shiite Muslims when he meets Iraq's top cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

Security will be tight in Iraq, thousands of security forces spread around the Country to protect him.

The pope's visit has deeply touched Iraq's Christians, whose numbers have collapsed over years of persecution and sectarian violence, from 1.5 million in 2003 to fewer than 400,000 today.