Pope Francis’ visit to the land of Abraham’s birth expressed a message of hope and reconciliation that is the defining motif of his papacy

It was the riskiest trip of his pontificate, but the gamble more than paid off. Pope Francis’ whirlwind three-day tour of Iraq made history, and will be remembered for years to come. He is the first Roman Pontiff to set foot in the land of Abraham, where he held an unprecedented meeting with the most revered figure in Shia Islam and offered a message of hope to one of the world’s oldest and most persecuted Christian communities.

Francis today marks the eighth anniversary since his election as Pope. Looking back over that time, it is possible to see the visit to Iraq as encapsulating the heart of his papacy. He has urged the Church to leave its comfort zone and to go to the ends of the earth to heal the wounds of a suffering humanity. This historic pilgrimage symbolised his missionary, risk-taking approach.

Four years ago, as Islamic State (IS) swept through northern Iraq, destroying churches and ordering Christians to convert, a visit by the Pope to the country would have been unthinkable. In the middle of a global pandemic, which has restricted international travel, and with recent terrorist attacks in Baghdad causing security concerns, officials in the Vatican were advising Francis to postpone the visit.