Pope Francis arrives in the Ancient City of Ur

Shafaq News / Pope Francis arrived today, Saturday morning in the city of Nasiriya, the local capital of Dhi Qar Governorate, in southern Iraq. A third stop in his historic visit to Iraq.

The Pontiff will hold an interreligious meeting in the Plains of Ur where he will deliver a speech, later he will perform the Prayer of the Children of Abraham in the Ancient City.

After flying back to Baghdad, he is expected to deliver mass at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph.

Earlier today, Pope Francis held a historic meeting with Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in a powerful appeal for coexistence in a land torn by sectarianism and violence.

The Pope’s meeting in the holy southern city of Najaf, during a whirlwind and risky tour of Iraq, marked the first time a pope has met with such a senior Shi’ite cleric.