The Pope in Iraq

Webmaster • March 5, 2021

As Pope Francis packed his bags to travel internationally for the first time in 15 months, news stories were flashing warnings about the dangers of his visit to Iraq, not only due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but because of Iraq’s long-term security problems, including bomb and rocket attacks.

The week before the trip also saw the publication of statements Pope Francis made in a 2019 interview with an Argentinian journalist and physician in which the pope said he intends to die in Rome and be buried there. He also spoke about his mental health and a past struggle with anxiety, overcome by spending six months meeting with a psychiatrist who helped him manage his anxiety and “to avoid rushing when making decisions.”In short, a week of news about danger, death and the pope’s past anxiety came as he prepared to become the first pope to set foot in Iraq.

Many people were wondering why the pope wanted to go to Iraq now. Why not wait until the Covid-19 pandemic had died down and the security situation improved?

“I am the pastor of people who are suffering,” Pope Francis told Catholic News Service during a discussion last month about his Iraq trip. In a sign of his determination to travel to Iraq, the pope indicated that he would consider taking a regular commercial flight to get there if 

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