INA – Baghdad
President of Republic Barham Salih and the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Hassan Nadhim discussed preparations and arrangements for Pope Francis' visit to Iraq in early March.
“Salih and Nazim discussed preparations and arrangements for the success of the visit of the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church in the world, Pope Francis to Iraq early next March,” included a statement by the media office of the Ministry of Culture that Iraqi News Agency (INA) received.
Both discussed logistical preparations for the visit of Pope Francis, especially after the recession due to the Corona pandemic.
Other several things were discussed, including that “this visit represents a message inside and outside Iraq, and to the world with the indications it carries calling for coexistence, peace and tolerance," the statement included.
They also talked about the importance of the role of governmental and non-governmental media and civil society organizations in highlighting the importance of the visit, as well as highlighting the civilized face of Iraq as a country replete with monuments, religious shrines and churches, which is a model for human coexistence despite all the immediate and temporary events it has gone through.