WelCom March 2021
Pope Francis will be the first pope ever to visit Iraq when he arrives in Baghdad on March 5. He will be welcomed at the Presidential Palace, and later meet Christian and religious leaders from all faiths. He will visit Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the influential leader of Iraq’s Shiite Muslims, in Najaf and attend an interreligious meeting in Ur. The Pope’s visit will include stops in the capital Baghdad, Najaf, Nasiriyah, Erbil, Mosul and the Christian-dominated city of Qaraqosh, before he departs March 8. President Barham Saleh had officially invited Pope Francis to visit Iraq in July 2019, hoping it would help the country ‘heal’ after years of strife.
Anzac Day, 25 April 2021, National Day of Remembrance
WelCom April 2021 Te Rā o ANZAC, 25 o Paenga-whāwhā 2021, He Rā Whakamaharatanga a Motu New Zealand-sponsored peace talks between Bougainville groups and at times the Papua New Guinea…
Pope’s peace pilgrimage to Iraq
WelCom April 2021 Last month Pope Francis defied security fears and the Covid-19 pandemic to visit Iraq, one of the world’s oldest and most persecuted Christian communities. His trip was…
Cardinal apologises to abuse survivors
WelCom April 2021 The Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand has made a formal apology to victims and survivors of abuse committed by priests and other Church figures. Cardinal John…