Pope Francis will visit Iraq next year. Iraq said the visit would surely be a "historic event" for the country.
The Pope's trip will be the first papal visit since the Vatican canceled plans following the spread of the coronavirus.
Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said the Pope will be visiting Baghdad, Ur, Erbil, Mosul and Qaraqosh. The Pope will stop over in these cities from March 5 to March 8.
The trip will be the first taken by the 84-year-old Pope in more than a year. All of the Pope's international visits were canceled earlier in the year because of the virus.
"The program of the journey will be made known in due course and will take into consideration the evolution of the worldwide health emergency," Bruni said.
Iraq's foreign ministry said in a statement that the Pope's visit will surely be taken as a "message of peace" for the entire region.
Iraq President Barham Salih invited Francis to visit in July 2019. However, his plans were canceled as a result of the pandemic. The president said a visit by the Pope would help Iraq heal after years of wars and conflict.
In 2000, the late Pope John Paul II planned to visit the country and the ancient city of Ur. The city is believed to be the birthplace of Abraham, the father of the monotheistic religions.
The previous Pope wanted to visit Iraq as part of a three-country pilgrimage which included visits to Israel and Egypt.
The trip was canceled after negotiations with the Vatican and former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein broke down.
