Pope Francis to Visit Iraq in March 2021

The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Francis would be traveling to Iraq in March 2021, breaking a 15-month hiatus from international travel for the globetrotting pontiff. The trip will last four days and cover four Iraqi provinces. Francis has long expressed a desire to visit the Middle Eastern nation. “He will visit Baghdad, the plain of Ur, linked to the memory of Abraham, the city of Erbil, as well as Mosul and Qaraqosh in the plain of Nineveh,” the Vatican announced. Final plans will be released closer to the date of departure and will “take into consideration the evolution of the worldwide health emergency.”