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Manila Bulletin devider World devider Pope meets top Iraq Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Sistani

Pope meets top Iraq Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Sistani

Published Mar 6, 2021 02:21 pm

Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the top religious authority for most Shiite Muslims, hosted the head of the world's Catholics, Pope Francis, on Saturday in the shrine city of Najaf.

Security personnel surround Pope Francis as he leaves Baghdad's Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation (Sayidat al-Najat) at the start of the first ever papal visit to Iraq on March 5, 2021. - In an address to the faithful in Baghdad, the pontiff expressed his gratitude to his fellow clergy for supporting Iraq's Christians, whose population has dwindled due to conflict. (Photo by Ayman HENNA / AFP)

Sistani, 90, almost never holds meetings but made an exception for 84-year-old Francis, who is making the first-ever papal trip to Iraq to encourage dwindling Christians and extend his hand to Shiite Muslims. 

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