Pope Francis called for peace toward Christians in the first-ever papal visit to the majority-Muslim country of Iraq on Friday.
Francis was greeted with cheers from the crowds that gathered in Baghdad to see the pontiff, who was transported in a bulletproof BMWi750 surrounded by fleets of police, the Associated Press reported.
His primary goal during the visit is to encourage the country’s diminishing number of Christians to stay and help rebuild the country devastated by wars and strife.
“Only if we learn to look beyond our differences and see each other as members of the same human family will we be able to begin an effective process of rebuilding and leave to future generations a better, more just, and more humane world,” the pope said in a welcoming address to Iraqi authorities.
POPE FRANCIS SHARES MLK DAY MESSAGE OF PEACE AFTER CAPITOL RIOT
Demographic estimates show that there are likely fewer than 300,000 Christians in Iraq. Christians faced violent persecution by the Islamic State and still experience discrimination by the Shiite majority.
Francis made his calls for peace in a church stricken by a massacre one decade ago, when several gunmen killed 58 people.
The Vatican and the pope have often raised concerns toward preserving Iraq’s ancient Christian communities and developing better security, social, and economic standards for those still living there and Christians seeking to return.
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“This is an emblematic journey,” Francis told reporters aboard the papal plane before he arrived Friday. “It is also a duty to a land tormented by many years.”
