On the occasion of the first ever papal visit to Iraq, the country’s religious communities look to Pope Francis as a vote of confidence in their people’s future

Every morning in Iraq, the sun comes up over the Tigris and Euphrates, two great rivers which have sustained human civilisation for over 6,000 years, and around 40 million people wake up and begin their day in about six different ­languages. They practise at least half-a-dozen religious traditions, some found only here. The Iraq that Pope Francis visits is one with a deep history and remarkable cultural ­richness. He is surely conscious of this, as he plans to meet leaders of Iraq’s different faiths in Ur, the birthplace of Abraham.

The Iraq the Holy Father visits is one that is just beginning to recover from years of violence. Its people navigate a landscape with ruins from 3,000 years ago and ruins from three years ago. One million Iraqis remain displaced from war; more than four million have only recently returned and begun to pick up the pieces. Everyone has been touched by violence in one way or another. The Pope is conscious of this pain and comes in his role as pastor to comfort.