Pope Francis is visiting parts of northern Iraq that were held by Islamic State (IS) militants on the third day of his historic trip to the country.

IS seized the region in 2014, targeting Christians and other minorities. Christians have been returning since IS was defeated in 2017.

Later on Sunday the Pope will celebrate Mass at a football stadium in Irbil, with up to 10,000 attendees expected.

There are fears the ritual could become a coronavirus super-spreader event.

Iraq has seen a sharp rise in Covid-19 infections over the past month.

The 84-year-old leader of the Catholic Church and his entourage have all been vaccinated, but Iraq only received its first batch of doses last week.

'Pope's visit gives Christians a message of hope'
The four-day trip, which began on Friday, is the pontiff's first international excursion since the start of the pandemic more than a year ago, and the first ever papal visit to the country.

Some Shia Muslim militant groups have reportedly opposed the visit, suggesting the tour amounts to Western interference in the country's affairs.

Early on Sunday, the Pope was welcomed as he arrived in the northern city of Irbil by the head of Iraq's Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani.

Later, the pontiff is due to travel to Mosul - a former IS stronghold for three years - where he will say prayers in Church Square for the victims of the war with the Sunni Muslim militant group, which left tens of thousands of civilians dead.

He will then visit Iraq's largest church, which was partly destroyed by IS, in nearby Qaraqosh, where Christians have returned since the group's defeat.

About 10,000 Iraqi Security Forces personnel have been deployed to protect the Pope during his visit, while round-the-clock curfews have also been imposed to limit the spread of Covid.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1348 HRS, MAR 07, 2021
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