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NAJAF: Pope Francis held a historic meeting with Iraq’s top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Saturday, in a powerful appeal for coexistence in a country torn by sectarianism and violence.
The meeting in the holy city of Najaf, during a whirlwind and risky tour of Iraq by Francis, was the first time a pope has met with such a senior Shia cleric. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes. After the meeting, Sistani, one of the most important figures in Shia Islam, called on world religious leaders to hold great powers to account and for wisdom and sense to prevail over war.
The pope also called for religious communities to work together. The Vatican released a statement saying the pope “underlined the importance of collaboration and friendship between religious communities so that, by cultivating mutual respect and dialogue, we can contribute to the good of Iraq, of the region.”
The pontiff, 84, has visited predominantly Muslim countries including Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine, using those trips to call for inter-religious dialogue.
In a statement, Sistani said, “Religious and spiritual leadership must play a big role to put a stop to tragedy … and urge sides, especially great powers, to make wisdom and sense prevail and erase the language of war”.
He said great powers must “not sponsor their own self-interest at the expense of the right of people to live in freedom and dignity”, adding that Christians should live like all Iraqis in peace and coexistence.
The meeting took place at Sistani’s humble home that he has rented for decades, located along a narrow alleyway in Najaf near the golden-domed shrine of Hazrat Ali in Najaf. An official Vatican photo showed Sistani, 90, in his traditional black robe and turban sitting across from Francis, in his white cassock.
Francis then headed to the ruins of ancient Ur in southern Iraq, revered as the birthplace of Abraham, father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He was scheduled to give a speech at an interreligious meeting. After flying back to Baghdad, he is expected to say Mass at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph.
Sistani is one of the most important figures in Shia Islam, both within Iraq and beyond. He is a reclusive figure who rarely appears in public or holds meetings. He has refused talks with Iraq’s current and former prime ministers. Sistani agreed to meet the pope on the condition that no Iraqi officials would be present.
The pope began his trip to Iraq amid the tightest security ever seen for a papal visit. Francis said he was making the trip to show solidarity with Iraq’s devastated Christian community. After he arrived, Francis made an impassioned call for Iraqis to finally give peacemakers a chance, speaking during a gathering of Iraqi officials and diplomats at the presidential palace.
