Biden salutes Pope's visit to Iraq

Shafaq News/ US President Joe Biden saluted Pope Francis's "Historic" visit to Iraq, saying it delivers an "important message" of "fraternity" against "fratricide". 

"To see Pope Francis visit ancient religious sites, including the biblical birthplace of Abraham, spend time with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, and offer prayers in Mosul — a city that only a few years ago endured the depravity and intolerance of a group like ISIS — is a symbol of hope for the entire world," Biden said in a statement issued by the White House on the first Papal visit to Iraq.

The Pontiff defies security fears and the pandemic to visit Iraq in a three-day "pilgrimage" to the war-ravaged country that houses one of the oldest and most persecuted Christian communities in the world.