The Pope and Ayatollah: Francis meets with Iraqi Sistani

● Francis will later hold an interfaith event in the ancient city of Ur, which is said to be the birthplace of Abraham. ● The Pope says that the interfaith meeting will aim to demonstrate “our conviction that religion should serve the cause of peace and unity among all members of God.” Uruguay, Iraq – Pope Francis met on Saturday with one of the most senior officials in the Muslim world, reclusive Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in an effort to improve interfaith relations that have spent centuries spilling each other’s blood. The ayatollah’s personalities will be the focus of Francis’s four-day trip to Iraq, given Sistani’s influence on Shiite Islam. He is the pre-eminent figure of Shiites in Iraq and many Middle Eastern countries – and rarely opens its doors to world leaders, and the private meeting, which lasted 50 minutes, slightly longer than planned, took place in Sistani’s modest home in Najaf, the holiest Shiite city in Iraq. This happened without the presence of the media, after which the Vatican said in a statement that the conversation “underscored the importance of cooperation”. Iraqi television showed a group of four-wheel drive vehicles in the Sistani neighborhood and a Mercedes used by the Pope parked near his home. The Vatican described the meeting as a “courtesy visit,” and said that Francis was initially received by Sistani’s son, Muhammad Rida. The dove, a symbol of peace, is released upon the arrival of Francis. Sistani’s office issued a statement saying that the ayatollah wished the Pope and the followers of the Church “happiness and peace.” According to the statement, Sistani said that the spiritual leaders of the “major religions” should make an effort to curb the tragedies of oppression, persecution and violence. Sistani also stressed his “concern for Christian citizens who live like all Iraqis in security, peace and peace.” The confrontation between Francis and Sistani in itself amounts to a symbolic showing of their followers about the importance of cooperation. This message is more urgent given the situation in Iraq, a country torn apart by seemingly intractable religious clashes. . Christians fled Iraq in large numbers. Sunnis and Shiites are competing for power. And ethnic minorities found themselves being violently targeted during the era of the Islamic State, which several years ago controlled nearly a third of Iraqi territory, and some Christians, after the meeting, hoped that Sistani would emphasize the importance of reopening the doors. For Christians who have fled in recent years. “I think this meeting will change things in Iraq,” said Iraqi Archbishop Basil Yaldo. “We hope that Christians will return after this visit by Pope Francis.” Sistani, 90, is seen as a moderate figure in Iraq, and his statements over the years have shown his influence. He rallied the Iraqis to vote. He brought down the prime minister. He helped turn the tide against ISIS, by issuing a fatwa calling on Iraqis to join the fight against the group. This intervention had unexpected consequences, although it also allowed Iran-backed groups – involved in the fighting – to deepen their power and influence over the country. Sistani, despite his birth in Iran, opposes the religious theories that support the Iranian state. Sistani argues that clerics should be more advisory, rather than integrated into government decision-making. Francis’ meeting was not an endorsement of Sistani’s view, but it might give his followers a sense of encouragement, and Francis made contact with various religious leaders a focal point of his eight-year papacy. Two years ago, while visiting Abu Dhabi, Francis met the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque in Egypt, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, where he signed a peace statement – what they described as a “document of human fraternity.” That deal was a peace agreement from the head of the Roman Catholic Church and an influential Sunni figure who called for an end to “hatred, violence, extremism and blind intolerance” in the name of religion. An interfaith event in Ur, the ancient city said to be the birthplace of Abraham, the patriarch of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Francis said that the event aims to show “our conviction that religion should serve the cause of peace and unity among all children of God.”