Pope Francis visited a Baghdad cathedral that is now a shrine to 48 Christian martyrs who died Oct. 31, 2010, when militants belonging to a group linked to al-Qaida laid siege to the church.

The journey to Iraq will be a high-risk standout among the pope’s various efforts to bring attention to the church’s margins.

Francis’ plane touched down at Baghdad’s airport just before 2 p.m. local time. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on hand to greet him.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, named today to the influential Congregation for Bishops, has been known as a “Pope Francis bishop”—one who generally follows the pope’s lead in prioritizing social justice issues and dialogue over culture war flashpoints.

Please join us on Friday, March 12 at 12 pm ET for a virtual prayer service remembering those who have died of Covid-19.

Father Markoe's pledge to work for racial justice helped transform Catholic institutions across the midwest.

“They awaited St. John Paul II, who was not permitted to go. One cannot disappoint a people for the second time,” Pope Francis said ahead of his apostolic visit to Iraq, March 5 to March 8.

Pope Francis is making history with his trip to Iraq. Follow along.

Pope Francis, by visiting a Shia majority country, completes his pastoral embrace of the Islamic world, begun two years ago with his trip to Abu Dhabi when he met with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb.

Recent statements from the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the U.S. bishops’ conference say Catholics should not take the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine if other options are available. But some Catholic ethicists and theologians say such messages are unhelpful in the face of this ongoing crisis.