Pope Francis has landed at the Baghdad international airport after four and a half hours of flight, where he will resume his international agenda and show his support for the more than 250,000 Christians who live in the country, a population that has suffered wars on their skin and the persecution of the Islamic State.
The plane, an A330 operated by Alitalia, which also carries 75 accredited journalists, took off from Rome-Fiumicino airport at 07:45 (local time).
In the 2,947-kilometer journey, the plane has flown over Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Jordan.
This is the Pope’s first trip since the start of the coronavirus pandemic since, for health reasons, the Vatican decided to suspend all international trips of the Pontiff. The last apostolic trip of the Holy Father was to Thailand and Japan, from November 19 to 26, 2019.
