‘Erase the language of war’: Pope Francis in historic meeting with Iraq’s top Shia cleric

Pope Francis has met with Iraq’s most senior Shia cleric, grand ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in a symbolic appeal for religious coexistence.

On the second day of his whirlwind tour of the country, Francis travelled from Baghdad to the southern holy city of Najaf.

Ayatollah al-Sistani, 90, a highly influential cleric both at home and abroad, has played a large role in the modern history of Iraq. Thousands of people volunteered to fight Isis on his advice in 2014, while a speech he gave in 2019 led to the resignation of the then prime minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.

The private meeting between the two religious leaders was held in al-Sistani’s humble home, located down a narrow alley in Najaf, and lasted roughly 45 minutes. It is likely to have touched on the country’s dwindling Christian population.