CNA Staff, Mar 6, 2021 / 01:40 am
Pope Francis on Saturday made a landmark visit to the home of Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See press office, said March 6 that the two men spoke for almost an hour during a private meeting at al-Sistani's residence in Najaf, central Iraq.
"During the courtesy visit, which lasted about 45 minutes, the Holy Father stressed the importance of cooperation and friendship between religious communities for contributing -- through the cultivation of mutual respect and dialogue -- to the good of Iraq, the region and the entire human family," Bruni said.
The meeting -- a milestone in relations between the Catholic Church and Shiite Islam -- came on the second day of the pope's historic visit to Iraq.