NAJAF, Iraq (AP) – Following his historic meeting with Pope Francis on Saturday, Iraq’s chief Shia cleric affirmed that religious authorities play a role in protecting Iraqi Christians, saying they should live in peace and enjoy the same rights like other Iraqis.
The Vatican said Francis thanked Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and the Shia people for “raising his voice in defense of the weakest and most persecuted” during some of the most violent times in Iraq’s recent history.
He said al-Sistani’s message of peace “affirmed the sanctity of human life and the importance of the unity of the Iraqi people.”
The Vatican said the historic visit was an opportunity for Francis to emphasize the need for cooperation and friendship between different religious communities.
THIS IS AN GREAT NEWS UPDATE. Below is AP’s earlier story.
Pope Francis met with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the oldest clergy in Shia Islam, in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq, on Saturday to convey a common message of peaceful coexistence and to urge Muslims to embrace Iraq’s long-beleaguered Christian minority.
The closed-door meeting was to address issues plaguing Iraq’s Christian minority. Al-Sistani is a highly respected figure in Iraq with a Shia majority and his views on religious and other matters are demanded by Shias worldwide.
For Iraq’s dwindling Christian minority, a show of solidarity from al-Sistani could help secure their place in Iraq after years of displacement – and, they hope, ease the intimidation of Shia militiamen against their community.
The historic gathering at al-Sistani’s humble home was months in the making, with every detail meticulously discussed and negotiated between the Ayatollah’s office and the Vatican.
When the time came, the 84-year-old Pope’s convoy, led by a bullet-proof vehicle, pulled up along Najaf’s narrow and column-lined Rasool Street, which culminated in the gold-domed Imam Ali Shrine, one of the most revered sites in the world. the world for Shias. He then walked the few meters to the modest home of al-Sistani, which the clergyman has rented for decades.
A group of Iraqis in traditional clothing welcomed him outside. When a masked Francis entered the doorway, a few white doves were released in a sign of peace. He emerged a little less than an hour later, still limping from an apparent flare-up of the sciatic nerve pain that makes walking difficult.
The “very positive” meeting lasted a total of 40 minutes, said a religious official in Najaf, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media.
The official said al-Sistani, who normally stays seated for visitors, stood to greet Francis at the door of his room, a rare honor. Al-Sistani and Francis sat close together, without a mask, with their hands on their laps. There was a table between them with a box of tissues on it.
The official said there was some concern that the Pope had met so many people the day before. Francis was given the coronavirus vaccine, but not al-Sistani.
The visit was broadcast live on Iraqi television and residents welcomed the meeting of two respected faith leaders.
“We welcome the Pope’s visit to Iraq and especially to the holy city of Najaf and his meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani,” said Najaf resident Haidar Al-Ilyawi. “It is a historic visit and I hope it will be good for Iraq and the Iraqi people.”
Francis arrived in Iraq on Friday and met with senior government officials during the first-ever papal visit to the country, aimed at promoting his call for greater brotherhood among all peoples. It is also his first international trip since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and his meeting on Saturday marked the first time a Pope had met with a great Ayatollah.
Nearly 25,000 security forces were deployed to Najaf before the Pope’s arrival, according to the province’s governor. Rasool Street was stripped of its usual hustle and bustle to clear the way for the Pope’s arrival. As soon as his column left, a swarm of people rushed into the street, filling it up again to chase him away.
In the few times he has expressed his views, the notoriously reclusive al-Sistani has shifted the course of Iraq’s modern history.
In the years following the US-led invasion in 2003, he repeatedly preached calm and restraint when the Shia majority was attacked by al-Qaeda and other Sunni extremists. Yet the country was plunged into years of sectarian violence.
His 2014 fatwa, or religious edict, calling for the security forces to fight against the Islamic State group, increased the ranks of Shia militias, many of which were closely linked to Iran. In 2019, as anti-government demonstrations gripped the country, his sermon led to the resignation of then Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.
Iraqis welcomed the visit and the international attention it has given the country as it struggles to recover from decades of war and unrest. Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State group in 2017, but is still seeing sporadic attacks.
It has also seen recent missile strikes by Iranian-backed militias against US military and diplomatic facilities, followed by US airstrikes on militias in Iraq and neighboring Syria. The violence is linked to the stalemate between the US and Iran following Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the imposition of crippling sanctions against Iran.
Francis’ visit to Najaf and nearby Ur traverses provinces that have been unstable recently. In Nasiriyah, where the Plains of Ur is located, at least five people were killed in protest violence last month. Most were killed when Iraqi security forces used live ammunition to disperse crowds.
There was also protest violence in Najaf last year, but it subsided as the massive anti-government movement that engulfed Iraq gradually disappeared.
A heavy security presence also awaited Francis in Ur, where the Pope was to chair an interfaith meeting later Saturday. Ur, with its ancient ziggurat, is the traditional birthplace of Abraham, a prophet common to many Christians, Muslims and Jews.
Winfield reported from Ur, Iraq. Associated Press writers Samya Kullab and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed.