Pope Francis meets with Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf | Video

Najaf, Iraq, Mar 6 (EFE), (Camera: Handout).- Pope Francis met with Ayatollah Sistani at the Shia leader’s modest home in Najaf on Saturday, the second day of the first ever papal visit to Iraq.

The meeting, which has been long in the making, is being seen as a historic moment in relations between the Vatican and Islam.

During his 45-minute talk with the Ayatollah, Francis stressed “the importance of cooperation and friendship between religious communities to contribute – through the cultivation of mutual respect and dialogue – to the good of Iraq, the region and the entire human family”.

The pair discussed the safety of the country’s dwindling Christian community. Sectarian violence in the war-torn country over much of the past two decades has seen Iraq’s Christian population fall from 1.5 million in 2003 to just 300,000.

FOOTAGE COURTESY OF VATICAN MEDIA.

Metadata

Date: 06/03/2021 12:00 (UTC)
Credit: EFE
Source: CEDIDAS
Topic: Religion and belief » Religious leader
Religion and belief
Type: Rough cut
Duration: 46 seconds
Reference: 7001052417
Relevance: Normal